Read John 9:39-41. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
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.
Digging Deeper
Spiritual Darkness. How can a person who has the Scriptures be spiritually blind? One would think that if one reads and memorizes the Scriptures, that one would be enlightened. Reading the Word, listening to sermons or even studying the Bible give more facts to a person. But it doesn’t necessarily transform the reader or listener into being more like Christ.
The Pharisees excelled at knowing the Torah as they were teachers of the Law. They knew every command of the Law and yet many of them were still spiritual blind. They asked a rhetorical question, “Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” They believed that they were the enlightened, the educated ones of the Scriptures, and the teachers of the people, while everyone else lives in darkness.
The reflective question by the Pharisees, “Are we blind too?” not only applied to them, but to Christians as well. We who have the Scriptures in our hands, listening and reading it every Sunday and perhaps even daily, is it possible that we are blinded too?!
It is not how much Bible facts that we recall or how many Bible verses we can recite. It’s not about having great theological debates and arguing to defend our faith. Spiritual blindness is when we fail to appropriate the truth in our lives. It’s failing to apply the truth that God has revealed to us into our daily practice.
As I thought about these words in John 9, it dawned on me that at times I can act just like the Pharisees. When I receive harsh criticism and negative feedback on my writing or whatever I do, my attitude can be self-righteous, believing that I’m enlightened and everyone else has it wrong. I want to quickly respond and fight back. But is that what Christ wants me to do? As a Christ follower, I’m reminded to ask myself, “Do I really care for them, enough to stop and pray for them before I answer? Is it just more unloading of facts on them that will change their hearts and minds? No, only God can open their eyes and my eyes to see Jesus and to transform our lives.
If we ever think that more Biblical facts, pointing out the fallacies of their arguments will convince and convict a person to change their heart and mind, it will not. It is more likely to harden their positions. We should grieve for them for we know that they are refusing the offer of eternal life and the abundant life. They don’t need more facts. They need more faith and that comes with our prayers for them that the Spirit of God will open their eyes and heart to see who Jesus really is. What are we emphasizing in our conversations about Jesus? Is it faith or just more facts?
-Kingston