John 8:39-47

John 8:39-47 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This is pretty insulting to the Israelites -- they lean heavily on the legacy of Abraham.  He's considered the Father of the Jews, and they're all descended from him.  They are very proud to claim their link to him, and here is Jesus, telling them that they're not Abraham's children because they don't act like him.
  What had happened is that the legacy had become more important than the lifestyle.  They were so focused on the past, believing that their legacy was enough, that they'd quit trying to life a life that honored Abraham, that honored the God who called Abraham.  They thought their parentage qualified them, when Jesus was reminding them how important their actions were.
  Jesus was great at leveling the playing field.  Some of the people considered themselves better than lepers or Samaritans or the poor.  Jesus came to all, loving and serving all, even the tax collectors.  I don't know that the mindset has disappeared today.  It's easy to think that we're better than others.  The terrifying stigma of racism continues to raise its head today.  How do we get rid of this?  How do we remember that we are all the same, that we all stand before God as sinful and yet being redeemed, each of us beloved by God, handcrafted by God, and called by God to love and serve each and every person we meet.
  Each person you meet, you see, you pass today -- take a deep breath and remember that they are handcrafted treasures of God.