He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
Here Jesus makes it clear to His enemies to whom they belong - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.
According to the Teacher, everyone belongs to one side or the other in the cosmic battle between good and evil.
On the one side is God who desires our good. Opposed is the devil who desires our destruction.
Jesus says the devil was a murderer from the beginning. This looks back to the first murder on earth when Cain killed his brother Abel. Jesus says the devil was influencing that evil deed.
The devil enlists humanity to fulfill his evil desires through lies - When he lies; he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The devil has to lie, for if people knew the truth in advance about all the pain and heartache living a life his way brings they would never choose the wrong path. People who live lives opposed to the truth of God are deceived because they simply don't know the truth.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
The stark reality is that everyone chooses between the truth and the lie and so belongs to God or to the evil one.
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you?”
Do we understand Jesus' language? Becoming a student of Jesus is a serious decision - a choice between life and death.
To whom do we belong?
So many are deceived and don't realize it.
ReplyDeleteA song about addiction says:
It's like a force that's pulling you
It's empty promise hides the truth
Wait, it's all that I can take
And every single day
A part of my soul is fading
Many are in that state and don't know it.
What are we doing to let those who are deceived know the truth?
Better yet - Jesus says this to the "religious" people of their day. Are we sure we're following Him and not traditions of men that deceive many even today?
Dig deeps, fellow students!