(Verse 28) - In response to the man's answers to their questions the leaders cast reproach in his face. They regard him as a follower of Jesus (which he is not... yet!). Their argument is two-fold. First, it is an appeal to their superiority. They were disciples of Moses - in their minds that put them on a higher, superior plain to normal men. The implication is that they were more spiritual than others and couldn't be wrong.

There is an almost Gnostic sense to this. They had the insight that others lacked. They were initiated and had been enlightened and thus their judgment was superior to others. Obviously, this is a dangerous attitude to have. Implicit within this view is a danger of becoming unteachable. You are right, not because of the rightness of your understanding but simply because it is YOUR understanding. Sooner or later (most likely, sooner) you will embrace a passage that you misunderstand and not realize it because YOU can't be wrong! 

Second, it is an argument that believing in Jesus is inconsistent with believing in Moses. Anyone who believes in Moses would obviously reject Christ according to this logic. Actually, as we know, the exact opposite is true. Anyone who truly and rightly understands Moses would also, inevitably believe in Jesus! The OT is a perfect picture of the coming Messiah's ministry. Any honest seeker who went to the OT to genuinely seek truth would inevitably be led to faith in Christ as Messiah. Moses does not contradict Christ! Rather, the reverse is true!

They would argue that because Jesus had violated their tradition (and thus, the very Law itself!) that He was a condemner of the Law. Their mistake (one of many) was that they equated their traditions with the Law itself. This is a common mistake that is rooted in the superior self-view that the Jewish Leaders had. If they were superior, then they could not be wrong in their understanding of the  passages. The problem is that their assumptions, upon which all of their understandings of spiritual truth were based, were wrong.

Further. Their argument is that as His follower, the man born blind must be of the same mind also. This is a powerful argument to use on those who are unlearned in the Scripture. Nobody wants to be wrong. If we are uncertain of ourselves, we are easily influenced by those who are perceived as authorities. This is sheer intimidation by the Jewish Leaders. They are bullying this poor man for their own ego's sake - simply because they can. This is the epitome of how not to be a leader! It is also an example of the extreme self-serving nature that controlled these men. For them, this was about power and influence, and not much more.

The appeal to Moses is an appeal to unbreachable authority in their minds. Because they saw themselves as the legitimate heirs of Moses, they thought that people should treat them as they treated Moses - as the unquestioned leaders of Israel.

(Verse 29) - The argument here assumes two things: First that they have understood Moses properly. As we have noted, this was by no means a safe bet. The point we want to underscore is that their understanding of Moses was not a matter they were open to discuss. What they wanted was to speak from the platform of that teaching. Essentially, they got to make the rules and then insist that everyone else live by them. It would have been a bad enough thing had they been right! But they weren't right - and they didn't know it!

Second, it is assumed that what they added is equivalent in authority to the Scripture. This is particularly dangerous! Any time we elevate our opinion, and that is what tradition really is, a long series of the traditions of men, any time we do that, we cheapen the Scriptures. We also exalt our own minds and opinions higher than they ought to be! No tradition is more authoritative than God's Word. Actually, in practical terms, it would end up being superior in authority to the Scripture in that it forbids what the Scripture says nothing about and allows what the Law forbids!

"This fellow..." is really only 'this" and a rank expression of contempt. Once again we see the arrogance and maliciousness of these men. These were not spiritual men by any standard! Rather, they were carnal men, dressed in spiritual clothes.

"We know not..." taken with what went before in a categorical denial that Christ is from God. They were not even open to the possibility. They couldn't explain His miracles and they couldn't refute His teaching. But, they were still willing to reject Him and condemn Him as a fraud and a charlatan. One can only shake one's  head in amazement!

They have actually voiced the three alternatives to Christ being God that are possible logically.

• He was a Madman

• He was instigated by Satan

• He spoke for himself (he was a fraud).

Because they had rejected the possibility that He was from God they were forced to embrace one (or all) of these alternatives. The same reality is left to each and every person who is confronted with the Gospel. They must choose!

(Verse 34) - Their appeal here is that the man was born blind which proved either that he was sinful or that his parents had sinned and his blindness was a punishment for that sin! If he was in such a state he certainly couldn't be able to see the truth. The leader must assuage their conscience and rationalize their behavior some how. They can excuse their treatment of the man if the man is somehow less than a real person.

When people's minds are made up and they are unteachable, and they are confronted with the contradiction of their position they will often resort to personal attack. This is a tip off for us as we consider those around us. When people get personal, it is a sure sign that they are not interested or open to the truth. Then it is time to leave them alone. 

The end result is that they did as they had previously decided to do... they threw him out of the synagogue. Note that this was not so much to protect the synagogue as it was an attack on him - really an attempt to destroy his life. This is the end result of all those who are set in unbelief. They do as they had previously decided to do!

How do those facts apply to my life?:

I need to be careful that my mind is not closed and that I am not unteachable.

Self-examination.