‘We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” John 9:29 (NIV)
A man is healed. The leaders are indignant that it happened outside of their conceivable means and stipulations. This man is forced into questioning. But nobody wants to listen to him. He testifies of Jesus. He doesn´t yet know Christ well, but he owes Him a lot. He has been set free from a past of darkness. He would love to come to know Jesus and to follow Him. But his interrogators are stubborn. They stand on what they trust. They refuse to hear of new and mysterious movements of the Lord. They have their theology all wrapped up nicely. They are the experts. Nobody will shake the faith they have in their fine-groomed ideals. Nobody needs to come to them from God with a more pertinent message. They have already decided who it is that they trust. What about us?
Today we have a different story. At least we think we do. We say that we know where Jesus came from. He came from God, right? We accept this fine teaching and consider it a truth that we possess. We make a mental calculation using the information put before us. We satisfy ourselves that we have done well to see the Light. Then we develop our routines of worship, we go to church on certain days. We try to devote some time to personal devotion. We have studied and listened to others who have studied up on the issue of our spiritual welfare. We learn that God wants us to be good people and we make an effort to do that. So now does this mean we know Jesus? Have we got our religion more correct than those of Jesus´ day? Can we feel superior? Or could we simply be deceiving ourselves like those misguided souls before?
The Pharisees say that they don´t trust Jesus. They don´t know who He Is or where He came from. Christ is working miracles right and left. But they will hold their ground. They choose to stand fast on their known and chosen path. They are not willing to make room in their hearts for them to come near to Jesus and get to know Him. If we want to truly know someone, we must get familiar with them. We must spend time. Does this mean we should merely study up on where He was born or where He grew up? Does it mean we can simply recite the things He did or said? Or should we actually spend time with Him? Should we seek a relationship? Should we go out of our way to find Him in personal experience? Will we need to open ourselves to the possibility that He may move outside of our familiar routines, traditional views and even our own church? Might we need to keep an open mind about who God could be working through? Might He even teach us through Someone who hangs out with a shadier crowd than us? Could Jesus be trying to tell us to be compassionate regardless of race, or color, or even with someone who stole our parking spot?
We may like to think we trust in Jesus, but if we are not hearing Him whisper to us each day, then who are we kidding? Are we like the Pharisees? Are we putting more trust in other influences? Are we putting trust in ourselves? Who is it we really trust? Do we ever dare to dig into these tender matters? Are we too scared to find out?
Dear Jesus, we have made many bold statements. But we want to be sure of Who we are putting our trust in. Please refresh our relationship with You today! We want to know the One we say we love! We want to hear Your whisper and Your guidance in everything we do. We want to sense Your Presence. We want to walk along with You as we follow Your every move. Let us know and trust the One Who moves us and guides us in every moment, even now!
Amen
Searching For Christ 
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