When a friend of mine found out that he had pancreatic cancer, he went to the health store and bought up all kinds of vitamins and herbal cures he would never have touched before. He knew that traditional medicine had nothing to offer him, so he was willing to try anything that promised healing or a better life; including medicines he beforehand deemed to be wacky.
People in Bible days were no different. They knew when traditional cures and medicines could do nothing for their sickness or disease; and when they had no where else to go, some went to Jesus, who was a man who identified with the lower classes more than the upper classes.
Upper classes would not feel comfortable mingling with Jesus and the types of people that he hung with, because they believed they were superior. They dressed differently; they had a different set of values; and they probably talked differently. We do know that Galileans were despised by and had a different accent than the Judeans. How much more would prejudice and pride affect the classes.
So for a man who hung out with more noble classes to go to Jesus and ask Jesus for a favor, it was quite humiliating... Jesus was not a messiah to the rich and the noble. Nevertheless, desperate times demanded desperate measures, so when rulers or wealthy came to Jesus for help, they were putting aside their own feelings of superiority.
There were several people who came to Jesus from the upper classes who were genuinely seeking for some favor. And even if they may or may not have been wealthy, they did hold respectable offices. At least four different people from the upper classes came to Jesus: a ruler of a synagogue, a centurian, Nicodemus (a Pharisee) and a rich young ruler.
The first 2 came to Jesus on behalf of others, while the rich young ruler and Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions about the kingdom Jesus was preaching. The first 2 went away satisfied; their needs were met. But the last 2 left Jesus very troubled.
They were troubled because their lives' status was placed under the microscope and challenged by Jesus. The rich young ruler learned that his money was a barrier, hindering his walk with God; and Nicodemus walked away knowing that his reputation would be at stake if he openly confessed Jesus.
Other people of stature came to Jesus, but most of them were trying to trap him in his words. They were not troubled by Jesus' teachings, and they did not look to Jesus for help. Instead, they went to Jesus in hopes of destroying Jesus' ministry.
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