The Pharisees searched the Scriptures, which testify of Jesus, and still failed to receive the truth regarding His identity. Their failure to see the truth caused them to vilify the Son of God and call for His crucifixion. In doing so, they partook of Satan’s nature: the one whom Jesus called a murderer and the author of lies. This spirit is alive and well today in those who can look at another human being and see them as fodder for ethnic slander and persecution. All bigotry is rooted in the rejection of God’s truth, and the acceptance of Satan’s lies. It manifests in hate crimes, lynch mobs, and systemic racism. It drove Dylann Roof to sit through a Bible Study at a Black Church– and then murder everyone there. His justification was that Black people are evil, even though he acknowledged that the people he killed did not fit his stereotype! I saw a social media post asking why ICE would never go after the 660,000 undocumented Europeans in the U.S. One response was that Europeans are not lazy and do not sit around sponging off society. The fact that ICE is arresting non-White people at their places of employment is a truth that simply did not fit in with the narrative of prejudice embraced by the person who left the comment. When the truth is rejected, freedom is denied not only for the recipients of discrimination, but for the privileged who revel in the lies.  

 Dear Father,

Jesus made the connection between knowing the truth and walking in freedom. Because He is the way, the truth, and the life, we cannot truly walk with Him, unless we acknowledge and embrace the Biblical truth regarding our fellow human beings. Help us to acknowledge one another as your beloved creation, called to bear your image. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

For Further Study: 
John 5:39-40
John 8:44-45 / Luke 19:41-44
John 14:6
Matthew 22:36-39 / 1 Timothy 3:15
Matthew 7:12
1 John 4:20-21
Genesis 1:27