Disagreement Doesn’t Equal Deception
Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
John 7:50-52
The Pharisees were outraged when the officers refused to arrest Jesus. “Have you also been deceived?” they sneered. They couldn’t imagine that anyone could see differently than they did and still be right. When Nicodemus spoke up, urging them to give Jesus a fair hearing, they mocked him too. “Are you from Galilee as well?” In their arrogance, they equated disagreement with deception, and dissent with ignorance.
That same attitude still plagues the church today. We’re often quick to assume that anyone who doesn’t share our interpretation, our denomination, or our theology must be misguided. We treat disagreement as a threat instead of an opportunity for humility. But the truth is, God’s wisdom is vast, and our understanding is partial. Sometimes the person you think is wrong is the one God is using to challenge your pride.
Nicodemus didn’t have everything figured out, but he was willing to question. He was moving slowly from darkness to light. He had met Jesus in secret before, confused but curious, and now we find him defending the very One he once didn’t understand. That’s how faith often grows. Not in leaps, but in steps. And while others mocked him, the Lord saw a heart that was turning.
It’s possible to hold conviction without arrogance, to stand for truth without despising others. The Pharisees thought they were defending God, but in their pride they missed God standing right in front of them. We can do the same when we let certainty harden into superiority. The mark of maturity is not winning arguments, but walking in humility.
So be careful not to assume that disagreement means deception. Sometimes the people you dismiss are the very ones God is using to open your eyes. The proud man argues to be right; the humble man listens to be changed.
John 7:50-52
The Pharisees were outraged when the officers refused to arrest Jesus. “Have you also been deceived?” they sneered. They couldn’t imagine that anyone could see differently than they did and still be right. When Nicodemus spoke up, urging them to give Jesus a fair hearing, they mocked him too. “Are you from Galilee as well?” In their arrogance, they equated disagreement with deception, and dissent with ignorance.
That same attitude still plagues the church today. We’re often quick to assume that anyone who doesn’t share our interpretation, our denomination, or our theology must be misguided. We treat disagreement as a threat instead of an opportunity for humility. But the truth is, God’s wisdom is vast, and our understanding is partial. Sometimes the person you think is wrong is the one God is using to challenge your pride.
Nicodemus didn’t have everything figured out, but he was willing to question. He was moving slowly from darkness to light. He had met Jesus in secret before, confused but curious, and now we find him defending the very One he once didn’t understand. That’s how faith often grows. Not in leaps, but in steps. And while others mocked him, the Lord saw a heart that was turning.
It’s possible to hold conviction without arrogance, to stand for truth without despising others. The Pharisees thought they were defending God, but in their pride they missed God standing right in front of them. We can do the same when we let certainty harden into superiority. The mark of maturity is not winning arguments, but walking in humility.
So be careful not to assume that disagreement means deception. Sometimes the people you dismiss are the very ones God is using to open your eyes. The proud man argues to be right; the humble man listens to be changed.
Posted in The Word Made Flesh
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