A blind man sees Jesus more accurately than the Pharisees. That is the irony of this chapter. In Jesus’ day, blindness and any illness was considered a spiritual disease. That is, the one who was physically sick was believed to have spiritually sinned. This was a popular but erroneous belief of that day. Jesus challenged the belief and at the end of the story, it is the blind man who has not only physical but even spiritual vision that is more insightful than that of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The problem the Pharisees had was overconfidence in their own theological opinions. The blind man was humble enough to recognize something special about Jesus that made him worship Him (v.38). The Pharisees were to proud to even give Jesus a chance.
Pride has a way of blinding even good, religious people from seeing spiritual truth. This frightens me. On most days I’m humble enough to recognize that maybe I haven’t figured out everything there is to know about God. But there are occasions when I put God in a box and because of my opinions, hunches, and preferences, may be blind to God and His work even when it’s right in front of my face. Today, I want to be open enough to see God show up in new ways and do new works in my life and in the world.
Questions to consider??? When have you opened your eyes to see God do something you hadn't seen him do before? When was the last time you humbled yourself by submitting your opinion/preference to the Word and Will of God?
4 comments:
I remember when I was very confident of what I thought I knew. For a while now God has been teaching me steadily how little I do know. When I begin to think I have something figured out in his realm he once more points out I don't have it all firgured out. My prayer is to be more teachable.
Bodie Thoene in her series of the life of Christ developed the story of the blind man in John 9. She pointed out how dangerous life was for the blind man because Jesus healed him. He was rejected because he was blind; and then he was rejected again because Jesus healed him and he became his follower. Being healed had a price to it. I know that I don't want to have to pay that kind of price. I want it to be easy and comfortable. I pray that I truly will be willing to be whatever he wants me to be no matter the cost.
Roberta thank you for your humility. I am challenged to have a more teachable spirit. I have years of theological education, 13 years of experience as a pastor, and Doctoral Degree pretty soon (I hope). Yet, the older I get the more I realize that I still haven't completely figured out God.
Its amazing to me that the pharisees acted like they had everything figured out yet in reality the had so much more to learn. I don't want to ever be like the pharisees,I want to be open to keep on learning. Because as It says in the word in 1 corinthians 13:12 For now i see in a mirror, dimly,but than face to face, Now I know in part, but than face to face. I too want to be ever learning until I see Jesus face to face and than I will understand in full.
Lenny, can you imagine how scary it would be if we really could figure out God as much as we try sometimes? We so want the control of being able to do it, but the implications of that are really huge. I used to play the game, "If I was God, I would do such and such". Now I play the game, "If I was God, I would have missed the boat here, and there, and ..." The more I know the more I am glad that He is in control, because it is all too overwhelming.
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