Have you ever wondered, “Who sinned . . . ?” like the disciples did in our reading today?
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have. It’s strange how we can understand that we are saved by grace through faith. We can know all the Bible passages about God’s unrelenting love. Yet, somehow, the moment something “bad” happens our minds flicker to what we’ve done (or what they’ve done) to deserve it.
I believe this shows how deeply flawed we are – how remarkably cancerous sin is. This is also why Jesus comes. He has to show us that God loves us, and that He wants us to know Him as our Father who blesses us, and not as our jailer who punishes us.
Jesus says that this man was born blind so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As the chapter unfolds we see that as the man is healed, he gives testimony to his family and neighbors, he tells the Pharisees that his healer must have been from God because no where else has a man born blind been healed (with more than a subtle hint that they should have known better!), and finally he sees Jesus face to face and worships him.
It’s interesting to see the people’s responses to this miracle:
- The man himself gives strong testimony without having seen Jesus, and stands up under some strong pressure.
- The friends and neighbors want to know more.
- The Pharisees can’t get passed the fact that this happened on the Sabbath Day. Never mind that a man received sight! This man must not be godly because he works on the day of rest.
- The man’s parents are terrified of repercussions from the Pharisees so they just shut up and do nothing to defend their son.
- Jesus himself seeks the man out, and claims him accepting his worship.
Can you see yourself in any of those responses? I can see me in them – particularly the parents and the Pharisees. Too often, like the parents, I remain silent when I should speak up and lovingly confront a situation, but my inner coward shrinks back because I don’t want to offend or anger, when in truth I might speak words that could bring God’s healing and peace. Ever been there? Or the Pharisees; how often have I been like them? Refusing correction; refusing to see what is right there before my eyes; charging ahead with what I “know.” Unfortunately, too often what we “know” lacks the love that Jesus came to show us.
Perhaps it’s time to admit that we too are blind – or perhaps blinded. Our sin forms cataracts over the eyes of our hearts so we fail to see as God sees, making us unable to perceive His love or recognize that our weakness is an opportunity to display the glory of God in our lives.
Think about this, what could be more glorious than the removal of our sin? What could be more glorious than receiving the Father’s love and forgiveness? What could be more glorious than the change he brings into our lives?
Oh to rightly know the depth and vileness of our sinful depravity and spiritual blindness so that we might rejoice and be awed by the magnitude of God’s love and Jesus’ forgiveness!
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have. It’s strange how we can understand that we are saved by grace through faith. We can know all the Bible passages about God’s unrelenting love. Yet, somehow, the moment something “bad” happens our minds flicker to what we’ve done (or what they’ve done) to deserve it.
I believe this shows how deeply flawed we are – how remarkably cancerous sin is. This is also why Jesus comes. He has to show us that God loves us, and that He wants us to know Him as our Father who blesses us, and not as our jailer who punishes us.
Jesus says that this man was born blind so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As the chapter unfolds we see that as the man is healed, he gives testimony to his family and neighbors, he tells the Pharisees that his healer must have been from God because no where else has a man born blind been healed (with more than a subtle hint that they should have known better!), and finally he sees Jesus face to face and worships him.
It’s interesting to see the people’s responses to this miracle:
- The man himself gives strong testimony without having seen Jesus, and stands up under some strong pressure.
- The friends and neighbors want to know more.
- The Pharisees can’t get passed the fact that this happened on the Sabbath Day. Never mind that a man received sight! This man must not be godly because he works on the day of rest.
- The man’s parents are terrified of repercussions from the Pharisees so they just shut up and do nothing to defend their son.
- Jesus himself seeks the man out, and claims him accepting his worship.
Can you see yourself in any of those responses? I can see me in them – particularly the parents and the Pharisees. Too often, like the parents, I remain silent when I should speak up and lovingly confront a situation, but my inner coward shrinks back because I don’t want to offend or anger, when in truth I might speak words that could bring God’s healing and peace. Ever been there? Or the Pharisees; how often have I been like them? Refusing correction; refusing to see what is right there before my eyes; charging ahead with what I “know.” Unfortunately, too often what we “know” lacks the love that Jesus came to show us.
Perhaps it’s time to admit that we too are blind – or perhaps blinded. Our sin forms cataracts over the eyes of our hearts so we fail to see as God sees, making us unable to perceive His love or recognize that our weakness is an opportunity to display the glory of God in our lives.
Think about this, what could be more glorious than the removal of our sin? What could be more glorious than receiving the Father’s love and forgiveness? What could be more glorious than the change he brings into our lives?
Oh to rightly know the depth and vileness of our sinful depravity and spiritual blindness so that we might rejoice and be awed by the magnitude of God’s love and Jesus’ forgiveness!
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