Last week, a lawsuit alleging that a friend of mine’s pastor abused a woman for decades was made public. This pastor kept this woman silent by encouraging unconditional trust in his leadership and obedience to what he claimed was the word of God speaking through him. Indeed, there are too many stories like this of abuse by leaders who preach unconditional and unquestioning obedience to whatever they say. This leads us to the question inspired by the Daily: why does Jesus say that willingness to obey is before ability to perceive?
What is vital to remember in reading John 7:18 is that Jesus is not calling for blind obedience to any flawed human leader, but for the sincere desire to obey the will of God. True obedience to the Christ revealed in scripture never silences victims or protects abusers. It always leads to the light, truth, and freedom that Christ himself promises.