“I know this, I was blind, but now I can see.” John 9:225 NLT
This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. A man who is born blind is healed by Jesus. I wonder what that moment was like? Being born blind means you’ve never seen color, depth, shape or even your own reflection. Then, in a moment you can see it all. Seriously, think about that moment, going from no sight to seeing clearly for the first time! It had to be crazy awesome! Although I was not born blind, I have lost most of my vision and wonder what this moment will be like? The moment I can say, “I was blind, but now I can see!”
And then, isn’t it just like the religious to question and try to disqualify the power and presence of Jesus! And that is what happens here in this chapter. Verse 16 says, “there was a deep division among them.” The division was among the Pharisees, the religious leaders. Some felt that there was no way Jesus was from God because He performed a miracle on the Sabbath. And others said an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs? And so there self-righteous attitude kept them divided and they missed the miracle.
I can’t help but think about the division we are experiencing today in our nation. And most heartbreaking is the division we are experiencing within the Church. Have we, have I become so confident in my own beliefs and opinions that I fail to see the greater work of Jesus here all around me? Am I so strongly stuck to my own idea of what is wrong with everyone, that I miss the opportunity to expand the Kingdom of God?
In verse 39 Jesus says, “I entered this world to render judgement, to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they can see that they are blind.” I’m asking myself today, what do I think I can see, but is really a mirage I’ve made up, because really, I am blind? In the medical field this is called the Charles Bonnet Syndrome. This is when someone with little or no sight sees, or rather, thinks they see something that isn’t there. For example, like looking through a doorway and seeing a person because you heard someone talking and assume somewhere in your subconscious that he or she is standing there. So, today I’m wondering, where in the Spirit do I think I see, but really am blind? When have I allowed my own thoughts and opinions to taint my witness? Where am I so confidently prideful in my own accomplishments, that I’m missing the miraculous move of Christ? And where have I allowed my judgement of others to become more prevalent than Christ love for them to flow through me?
Lord, open my eyes to see what you see. Give me supernatural sight to see beyond the physical. Lord, I want to see where I’ve missed it. Reveal those blind spots to me and change me. Help me to love like you love. Amen.
What is God speaking to you today? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below!
““You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.”
John 9:34 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/jhn.9.34.nlt
The Jewish leaders were so pompous and prideful that they would not let some lowly “sinner” in the church teach them anything!
This man had just received his Sight! But they wouldn’t let go of their pride to believe.
I never want to get to a point in my life where I can’t see God working through a child, a teen, an old person. A donkey was used in the OT!!!
God’s ways are not our ways.
I don’t want to miss any miraculous work of God, just because of the person that receives the miracle, or because of the person God uses!
We were all born total sinners, something that the Jewish leaders had forgotten or just wouldn’t let their prideful selves believe.
God, please help me!
Help me not let pride rob me of You & Your work!
I never want to be like the leaders in this this story!
Amen.
It’s interesting to me that the disciples thought the blind man was blind because of his sins or his parents sins. Jesus said, This happened so that the power of God could be revealed and seen in him. I wonder how many times when things seem to go wrong in our lives if it is just so the power of God can be revealed in our lives and show us how faithful God is. I know God is working behind the scenes most of the time and preparing us for things to come that we don’t even know of. Thank you Jesus for preparing and working on our behalf and for your glory all at the same time.
Exactly !
“The man answered, “What a strange thing that is! You do not know where he comes from, but he cured me of my blindness! We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do. Since the beginning of the world nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind. Unless this man came from God, he would not be able to do a thing.””
John 9:30-33 GNB
Reading the response to the questions from the Pharisees, I think the blind man received more than just physical sight. He received spiritual sight as to who Jesus really was, and his interrogators didn’t like it one bit – he really put them in their place ! I have also been fascinated that Jesus performed this miracle with some spit and mud, followed by washing-simple and very humble. The things we can see when we finally wash away the mud from our own eyes is amazing. Lots of great stuff in this one.
This was really good! I think we all get caught up in the way ‘we’ see things that we miss other important things. We miss the reasons why other people may feel the way they do. We miss what God may be doing around us. We miss the fact that everyone is God’s creation and He longs for all to be saved and know Him. It’s not just about me.
Lord, help me be open to seeing from your perspective what is really going on around me and to also know how to act on it in the way pleasing to you. Amen.