28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
The easiest thing to pick, is fun at somebody (I bet you thought I was going to say a nose didn’t you? Sorry, I couldn’t resist!). Insults and criticism flow readily from the lips of wounded prides. Here this now seeing once blind beggar offends the pompous pride of the religious elite by asking if they wanted to become Jesus’ disciples as well. This was simply more than they could bear. Insults erupted closely followed by name dropping. They were going to show this now seeing beggar that they were somebody and that they were not the least bit interested in anyone he would follow. Clinging to the worthless idol of pride, they forfeit the grace that could have been theirs. We find this Truth in Jonah:
8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Jonah 2:8 (NIV)
“The entertaining of any worldly lusts, and indulgence of any known willful sin, is an accursed thing, by which we are deprived of the power of God, and cannot stand before our enemies... He that does not resist the sinful motions of his heart, will very easily give a loose to his hands and tongue; but he that immediately subdues the inward corruptions, will certainly be preserved from their breaking out in any sinful actions.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
In speaking to His then commander in chief Joshua, God states this Truth in the following way:
10 The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Josh 7:10-12 (NIV)
These Pharisees were so full of self righteous pride they were indignant at even the thought that they would stoop to follow Someone such as Jesus. The pride they held so dear devoted them to destruction. It was an insult to their worldly wisdom – to their standing. I am reminded how much God detests the haughty eyes of man. Of the seven things God hates listed in Proverbs, it is number one – “haughty eyes” being a proud look:
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Prov 6:16-19 (NIV)
Isn’t it interesting how cruelly and unjustly unbelievers will oftentimes treat those in disagreement with them? Yet Scripture tells us the curses they call down are for naught:
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. Prov 26:2 (NIV)
Being wise in their own eyes and also being unable to frighten this now healed blind man into denying the evidence of his own senses, they excommunicate him, putting him out in open shame. This was a grave treatment for our protagonist making him an object of scorn and suspicion among all true Israelites albeit only being a temporal injustice as it could do no harm to his soul. I am reminded of what our Lord Jesus states regarding any unjust treatment we might receive:
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28 (NIV)
All true motives will be revealed in the judgment. As believers, God is our defense - we do not have to worry about defending ourselves in matters of our rightness if we take a stand for righteousness sake. Obedience to God who is ultimately in charge of both the physical and the spiritual is far more crucial. Paul tells us in Romans:
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)
Interestingly, these Pharisees claimed to be the disciples of Moses as if Moses was contrary to Christ. In their blindness they could not see and refused to understand that Christ was the very Savior of Whom Moses had written. Jesus tells us:
45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" John 5:45-47 (NIV)