May 7, 2023
Justice Blinded By Rage
“Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, ‘Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?’ They answered him, ‘You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.’ Everyone went to his home.” John 7:50-52 (NASB)
Over the years of investigating crimes I continued to learn the legal system. I learned most of the time when a suspect was arrested, there was good probable cause. Rarely those arrested were 100% innocent. I learned how to build cases quickly. I based them on where the evidence led, not my feelings. Many times the suspect’s guilt was overwhelmingly proved. If I wasn’t sure, we took more time trying to determine why the facts were not lining up with the evidence. Other times, cases were slam-dunks. For instance, a man was caught passing counterfeit checks at a store. After calling the person in, I realized he was wearing the same shirt in the crime photo as on his driver’s license. It almost became comical. This Jewish council was just as comical, but they wanted results. They were willing to bend the rules to convict Jesus of a crime.
Three years later, Nicodemus reappears in the council. Apparently, he is in a seat of authority as he asks questions to the council. His question, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” appears to provide defense for Jesus. His leadership as a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin, warranted his right to speak to the council. He knew the council was ready to condemn Jesus, but he said the accused person had a right to speak for himself and genuinely know what he is doing. This allowed due process to determine if the person was of right mind. Deuteronomy 1:16 states, “Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously...” Going any further without hearing Jesus violated God’s Law. Nicodemus knew something was wrong. He wasn’t going to go on without addressing them. When Jesus met with Nicodemus, 3 years ago, something remained inside Nicodemus. The council recognized his hesitation and reproached him. They answered, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” But did not Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, Amos, Elisha, and possibly even Elijah come from Galilee? Surely an investigation would have revealed they were lying. Interestingly enough, Jesus addressed this topic before this council convened in chapter 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” If they had taken the time, they would have concluded they were wrong, but it didn’t matter. “But rage is blind, and deep prejudice distorts all facts.”[1] The council and all who were there adjourned. Some because the day ended, some to further investigate the claims.
“The phrase “justice is blind” means that in a court of law, a person is tried on facts and evidence. Judges, juries, and law enforcement professionals aren’t supposed to pick favorites or rule for whomever they like the most. Instead, they have to take an unbiased approach and make an impartial decision with the information available to them.”[2] We often look at people and make rash judgments about them without all the facts. Do your investigation and determine the facts, and then you can know what it true and what is not. Don’t be biased like the council.
[1] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 142.
[2] https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/justice-is-blind-meaning-interpretation/