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the truth, and there is a conscientious surrender of every
habit and practice that is opposed to its principles. To those who thus yield
themselves to God, having an honest desire to know and to do His will, the truth
is revealed as the power of God for their salvation. These will be able to
distinguish between him who speaks for God, and him who speaks merely from
himself. The Pharisees had not put their will on the side of God's will. They
were not seeking to know the truth, but to find some excuse for evading it;
Christ showed that this was why they did not understand His teaching.
He now gave a test by which the true teacher might be distinguished from the deceiver: "He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory: but he that
seeketh the glory of Him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness
is in him." John 7:18, R. V.
He that seeketh his own glory is speaking only from
himself. The spirit of self-seeking betrays its origin. But Christ was seeking
the glory of God. He spoke the words of God. This was the evidence of His
authority as a teacher of the truth.
Jesus gave the rabbis an evidence of His divinity by showing that He read their hearts. Ever since the healing at Bethesda they had been plotting His death. Thus they were themselves breaking the law which they professed to be defending. "Did not Moses give you the law," He said,
"and yet none of you
keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill Me?"
Like a swift flash of light these words revealed to the rabbis the pit of ruin into which they were about to plunge. For an instant they were filled with terror. They saw that they were in conflict with Infinite Power. But they would not be warned. In order to maintain their influence with the people, their murderous designs must be concealed. Evading the question of Jesus, they exclaimed, "Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill Thee?"
They insinuated
that the wonderful works of Jesus were instigated by an evil spirit.
To this insinuation Christ gave no heed. He went on to show that His work of healing at Bethesda was in harmony with the Sabbath law, and that it was justified by the interpretation which the Jews themselves put upon the law. He said, "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; . . . and ye on the Sabbath
day circumcise a man."
According to the law, every child must be circumcised on
the eighth day. Should the appointed time fall upon the Sabbath, the rite must
then be performed. How much more must it be in harmony with the
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