When Jacob came to Laban he was fleeing from Esau because
Jacob had wronged his brother and defrauded his father. Now, Laban’s sons believe Jacob has used
their father for gain as well. The Lord
told him to return home. Jacob calls his
wives out into the field, away from the family, and shares his grievances
against their father, the Lord’s blessings on Jacob’s labor, and the vision and
call to return. The wives know who their
father truly is and are prepared to leave home without regret. Jacob still took his leave the wrong way, we
are told that he tricked Laban by not telling him of his plans. The Lord spoke to Laban as well as he chased
Jacob. Laban was from the same family so
we can perhaps assume he knew the same God.
He and Jacob have much in common.
This is one of the most humorous stories in the Bible. The authorities want to get to the bottom of
whether or not this man was healed because no one can believe that a man born
blind was given sight. They have
threatened anyone who believes in Jesus with the punishment of being thrown out
of the synagogue as heretics so even the man’s parents will not say how he was
healed, throwing it back on the man alone as witness. They need more than one witness to convict
Jesus of wrongdoing in breaking the Sabbath command against healing, so they
have harmed their own cause with their threats.
The man is clear on who healed him and quite sarcastic with the leaders. Their final word is similar to the question
the disciples asked when they saw the man.
The authorities, however, don’t attempt to affix blame, “You were born
in utter sin.” If he were born in sin,
what is his state now that he is healed?
They are caught in their own logical trap. They feel superior to him based on his
handicap and their lack of the same but now they are all equal with the
exception that he is saved through sight and they are condemned by failing to
see.
Jesus Christ the righteous.
That is a powerful statement. No one
has ever lived about whom this could be said, except Jesus. His righteousness is not only that He was
without sin according to the law but that He was also sinless with respect to
His heart and mind. His righteousness
was not simply that He didn’t break the commandments but also that He loved God
and His neighbor. John describes Jesus
here as the righteous, our advocate, the propitiation for our sins. John’s conclusion regarding knowing Jesus is
that a person’s words don’t determine the matter, their life is the measure of
that truth. If we don’t live in accord
with what we say we believe then we don’t truly believe. Jacob has a problem with that, he believes
but doesn’t walk the walk. The Pharisees
use their “righteousness” as a wedge against all other people, there is no
love. True righteousness is difficult to
come by in this world.
The LORD reigns, let
the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
let the many coastlands be glad!
The heavens proclaim
his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
and all the peoples see his glory.
Light is sown for the
righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
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