Are We Among Friends?
John 8:37-47 says this.
37. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47. He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
These verses are an excerpt of one of the harshest exchanges Jesus ever had with the Pharisees. Remember, they were among the top brass of Jewish religious leaders in that day.
We don’t see the stereotypical milk toast Jesus here. He knew the hearts of his accusers. He said they were not of God and that their father was the devil.
Those are harsh words. They make us cringe, and we want to shy away from them.
We like to think people are good until proven otherwise, especially in the case of religious and political leaders. We want to trust authority figures.
We like to think people who do wrong or believe error are simply misguided. They don’t really hate Jesus, do they? They don’t really hate you and me for following Him, do they? With a little love, can’t they be put right?
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? True, godly love has its place, and we do well to exercise it.
But if the Pharisees were of the devil, isn’t it possible others are as well? Did the devil’s fatherhood stop at the end of Bible times?
My daughter once said sometimes she feels like crying for the world. I told her not to cry for those Jesus doesn’t cry for.
You and I may not know who are among the Elect of God, and we must continue to do all we can to spread the Gospel. But in some cases, there’s no mystery about those who have totally rejected Christ.
When will we wake up and realize many have the devil as their father? They’ll do his bidding. Let’s stop pretending they’re our friends.