“Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation’” (John 11:45-48).
There are several examples in the New Testament of the Pharisees having minds that were closed to the truth. They already decided what they wanted to believe and refused to consider anything that might challenge their preconceived notions. Their response to the raising of Lazarus from the dead may be the clearest of these examples.
Consider some important details from Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and the response of the Pharisees to it:
- Jesus prayed – audibly so that others would hear him – that this would cause people to believe that He had been sent by God (John 11:42).
- Lazarus had already been dead for four days (John 11:39), which means that this could not have been faked.
- The Pharisees received eyewitness accounts of what had happened (John 11:46).
- The chief priests and Pharisees did not deny the signs and their impact – even in a private meeting (John 11:47-48). Unfortunately, they were more concerned with holding their position of power and influence than they were with following what was right.
It is important to be open-minded to the truth. Close-mindedness causes one to reject the truth in favor of what he already believes. Of course, we need to avoid the opposite extreme – being “carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). This is not open-mindedness, but simple-mindedness. But one who is close-minded refuses to consider the possibility that what he does not yet know may be the truth.
How can we have an open mind? First, we must be humble. James wrote, “In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). We must recognize and be willing to admit that we might misunderstand the truth or be mistaken. If we are not humble enough to consider that possibility, we will not be open-minded to the truth.
Second, we must look to the Bible to find the truth. This was what the Bereans did when Paul preached to them: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). They were not close-minded and refused to listen to Paul. They were also not simple-minded and blindly accepted whatever he said. Instead, they were open-minded and, after listening, consulted the Scriptures to see if what Paul taught them was the truth.
Third, once we know the truth, we must practice it and teach it. After emphasizing the need for humility in receiving the word, James said, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). Also, when we teach, we have the responsibility to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, NKJV). Even if we have practiced or taught something different in the past, we must change in order to conform to what is taught in the word of God.
So who are the real Pharisees today? They are the ones who refuse to listen to the word of God and examine it to see if they need to change their beliefs or practices to conform to God’s will.
