Monday, November 13, 2017

insights from a man born blind

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
John 9:35-38

The faith that the blind man (now healed by Jesus) has is growing with each challenge. He is grilled by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem twice. His only answer to them is to recount the facts of his healing. When questioned about the moral authority of Jesus, he can only go back to the events that gave him sight. And not knowing what else to say, simply states the obvious: nobody has heard of a man born blind being given sight by a sinner. So Jesus must be better than that.

When the enraged leaders throw the healed man out of the synagogue, Jesus finds him when He hears the news. And in a very short conversation, the man embraces the worship of Jesus as God, seeing and believing the truth, even as the Jewish leaders continue angrily in their spiritual blindness. Now the man can see in all senses of the word. He can see with both physical sight and spiritual insight. He is made whole both in body and in soul. And it is the Pharisees who are blind.

The insights from this episode are intense. Jesus gives sight. Jesus gives direction. Jesus deserves worship. Jesus gives hope and peace to those He heals and saves. The courage of faith can withstand the cruelest attacks. Faith can hold up to mockery and scathing ridicule. Jesus is Who He is. When He makes us whole, we know it in our souls and nothing else is as important. And believing in Jesus is what our souls were made to worship. Whole souls seek their Savior!

No comments:

Post a Comment