I Was Blind But Now I See...
The Gospel of John
John Chapter 9
Scripture: John 9: 39, 41 (New International Version)
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Observation: John chapter 9 continues the same type of dialog with the Jews that Jesus had with them in chapter 8. In chapter 9 we see a man blind from birth miraculously healed by Jesus. The Pharisees cannot even rejoice over such a miracle but are incensed that Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. They are even more distraught because they hear the people talking about Jesus and even some in their own group are starting to question whether Jesus might be more than just a man. The Pharisees try to prove that the blind man was a phony and was never blind. They bring in his parents and try to uncover some conspiracy but it just isn’t there. The blind man had been healed, end of discussion! Now the truth is totally exposed in verses 24 – 34. The blind man himself exposes the jealousy behind their actions. The evidence was clear, who but God could do such a miracle? The conspiracy came not from the blind man but from the Pharisees themselves. The Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus because they did not want to lose control of the people. They did not want to give up their power and position, this was more important to them then even helping the people. They had lost sight of what a spiritual guide was supposed to do and in doing so had become more blind than the people ever were! They had become blind guides. In Matthew 15:14 Jesus said about the Pharisees, “Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Application: There is nothing wrong with one blind man trying to help another blind man if they both know that neither one of them can see. It is when one of them tries to cover up his blindness that trouble is immanent. If both admit their state they can help each other but if one acts as if he can see than unknowingly the honest man is in serious peril. The one who is blind and covers up his condition is not only sightless but a fool as well. We are all spiritually blind and none of us is capable of truly helping anyone. In His mercy God gives us sight and we are able to assist others but we cannot ever claim that we were never blind. It is the belief in recovered sight that gives the blind hope. When we lose sight of what God has done for us we have lost the power, God gave us, to help others to see. What an instrument of hope the blind man could have been to the Pharisees. He could have helped them receive their spiritual sight but they would not let him guide them instead they insisted that they knew the way! Am I above the help of others? Do I also insist that I know the way? I don’t ever want to lose sight of my condition; “I was blind but now I see!”
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you are the God who restores sight. I thank you for healing my spiritual eyes. May I never forget what it was to be blind. May I live to tell others who healed my eyes. Help me to be a “true” spiritual guide to those whose eyes have not yet been opened. Help me to bring your light into someone else’s world today.
