John 8:13

But the Pharisees are not open to Jesus’ invitation. “You say that out of self-interest and self-promotion,” they retort. “Your so-called witness is not genuine or true!” John 8:13 EFP 

It does not take the Pharisee long to regress into their previously hostile and oppositional ways. Jesus invites them to escape the darkness of their condition of condemnation—their own and towards others. He knows the end result of such a condition is death. The Pharisees, at least the ones present that day, want nothing to do with this so-called light.

They accuse Jesus of claiming to be the light out of sheer self-promotion and self-interest. It is interesting to note this is nothing less that classic projection, a common self-defense mechanism. They project onto Jesus the very shortcoming they see in themselves. In their unwillingness to concede anything to Jesus they cement their self-deception even further. They cap off their retort by adding the deception angle to their indictment against Jesus. 

Lord, help me avoid the temptation of shifting my shortcomings onto others rather than confessing them to you. Reproach me when I become self-promoting, or when I am more interested in appearances than in authenticity