To the Jews who had believed in him Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." His listeners couldn't accept what they heard. As far as they were concerned, as descendents of Abraham, they'd never been slaves of anyone. This wasn't true, but, rather than attempt to correct them, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

Did these people want to be slaves or sons? Slaves have no permanent place in a household BUT sons do. The relationship Jesus was offering these people was a relationship of sonship with his Father. The relationship Jesus offers all people is the relationship of "sonship" with his Father. Did these people want a permanent place in the Father's household? Do we?

In John 9, Jesus a man who was born blind. The man had not sinned and neither had his parents. He was born blind "so that that the work of God might be displayed in his life." The religious leaders would not accept what Jesus had done, as being from God, because Jesus had healed the man on a Sabbath. The religious leaders were blind to what God was doing among them because what God was doing did not fit their traditional understanding of they were to observe the Sabbath. They also did not understand the passage, "I desire mercy not sacrifice."