Think

Thinking to themselves (2:6)

One of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century was one John Nash. The subject of a wonderful film A Beautiful Mind, he struggled with severe mental illness, while discovering a hugely influential mathematical theory known as the Nash Equilibrium. A form of game theory, it enables the prediction of ideal strategies in anything from traffic light programming to penalty shoot-outs to avoiding tit-for-tat armed conflict. Indeed we have to hope Brexit negotiators are up on its key principles. One can never know how closely connected were his genius and his delusions, but internal reasoning has its glories and its flaws.

These scribes were trusting their reasoning when it came to the actions of Jesus. They seem unable to see beyond the limits of their own minds. How often is that true of those who encounter the claims of Christianity or the person of Jesus? We do not need to give up reason of course, but sometimes we do need to allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to stretch us beyond the limits of our own thinking.



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