Faith of the Pharisees

Healing of the Man Born Blind by El Greco (1567)

I was teaching in the Gospel of John, when I had a revelation. As best as I can tell from this book, the leading Pharisees of Jerusalem were denied the opportunity to actually see Jesus perform a miracle.  Was this so they could prove their faith?

For those of you unfamiliar with John’s gospel, it has a distinct back-and-forth pattern between Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and his visits to Jerusalem for various festivals.  Most of Jesus’ “big” miracles (or signs) occur in region of Galilee or outside Jerusalem.  For example:  the feeding of the 5,000; the feeding of the 4,000 and walking on water all happened in Galilee.  Likewise, the three people Jesus raised from the dead were all outside of Jerusalem.

Conversely, it is unclear whether any of the miracles performed in Jerusalem occurred where the Pharisees would have actually seen them.  Consider the most famous of the Jerusalem miracles: the healing of a man born blind in John 9.  This miracle happened during the Jewish festival of Tabernacles.  Tabernacles is one of the mandatory “pilgrimage” festivals that required the Jews to come to the temple in Jerusalem.  Given the large crowds and the two-part (mud then wash) nature of the miracle, it is unlikely more than a handful of people actually witnessed the event.  This is confirmed in John 9:13 which states: “They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees.” [My emphasis]

Given the Pharisees didn’t see what happened, I’m inclined to believe God was intentionally testing their faith.  Why?  Faith is a prerequisite to enter the divine.  Consider the following scripture:

-        Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21)

-        Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (Mathew 9:22)

-        Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:1-2)

-        By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11: 8)

It takes faith to leave everything you know and venture into the wilderness like Abraham.  Yet there is a reward.  As children of Abraham, the Pharisees had the same opportunity to step out in faith and chose not to.  

Are you ready to step out in faith and see the divine?