I Once Was Blind But Now I See – John’s Gospel chapter 9, verses 13 to 34
Life can be like the “Pin the tail on the donkey” game. Blind, tornadoed around and hearing many confusing voices.
Jesus had just healed a man born blind by making some mud with his spit and putting it on the man’s eyes, but instead of joy and praise there is grumbling and hatred.
Religious Formalism
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see.’ 16 Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others asked, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ The man replied, ‘He is a prophet.’
John 9:13-17
The man’s neighbours bring him to the Pharisees, who say “He’s not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” They said spitting on the ground was work, it was ploughing. They had a fear of God, but it was only skin deep, a smokescreen to conceal that they were all head and no heart.
Relational fear
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 ‘Is this your son?’ they asked. ‘Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’ 20 ‘We know he is our son,’ the parents answered, ‘and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.’ 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’
John 9:18-23
They summon the man’s parents, as a show of due diligence. They are scared, and avoid speaking of Jesus, for the religious leaders had already made up their minds. Social fear stopped the parents from celebrating their son’s new sight.
Rudimentary faith
They summon the man again. “We know this man is a sinner.” The greatest day of the man’s life, and here he is in court alone – threatened, bullied and rejected. But he is taking Jesus at his word. He confronts their “know it all” claims.
25 He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’
John 9:25
“Yet he opened my eyes! Never has this happened since the beginning of the world.” Then they insult him, and threw him out.
“I was once blind but now I see”. Soon he will see even better!
Formal religion cannot save your soul, nor new age spiritualism. Only Jesus.
