Have you also been deceived? - Saturday, April 9th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: John 7: 40-53
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” Then each went to his own house.

• division: act or process of dividing; separation by difference of opinion; disagreement
• Do I see "crowds" where Jesus's words have caused division?  Why do so many accept Jesus as a prophet, but not as the Christ?  What "side" am I on?
• deceive (deceived): to mislead by a false appearance or statement; to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.
• The Pharisees claim Jesus is deceiving - have I ever been misled by Him?  Has He ever asked me to accept as true what is false?  Do I see the deception in the pop culture - where true and false are obliterated by subjectivism?  Can I see the truth, and stand up for it?
• believe (believed): to have confidence in the truth or the reliability of something, although without proof that one is right in doing so; give credence to; accept something as true or genuine.
• What roadblocks didn't allow many of the Jewish authorities to believe in Him?  What roadblocks threaten my acceptance of Him?  Can I believe without proof?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.