Vol. 3 No. 12 – John 9:1-41 (3.25.2018)
One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see! –John 9:1-41
Here is a truth: It is entirely possible to have it all . . . and yet miss it all!
This is about a man born blind, then receiving his sight in desperation. He had been a beggar up to this point in his life; uneducated, sitting on the side of the dusty street day after day, waiting for some meager charity. He did not have much spiritual insight; he was just looking for a handout.
You have seen many like this. I have had to drive down the street and turn around to go back and make sure the person at the side of the street could have something to help them in life, always taking time to make sure they heard of the One who is chasing them with His grace.
Have you ever tried to explain color to a blind person . . . you can’t. But you can tell a blind person about the person of Christ and that person can see what you are speaking of.
The Pharisees seemed to have it all. They were blessed with full-working physical faculties; had a seemingly in-depth biblical knowledge (at least academically), and had positions of respect in the community. However, they were utterly blind to the fact that God was on the move, chasing unbelievers with His grace, operating in the broken world full of sin.
This man, this Christ, called Jesus, not only did things they did not expect; He also did them in a way that was not kosher (in their opinion). You know about opinions: They are like noses; everyone has one and they all smell.
The Pharisees were not denying the existence of miracles; however they were insistent that God work within the parameters they had designed. Do we do that?
God is notoriously unpredictable. –Tim Hansel
God, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, has a sense of humor; He loves to keep us on the edge of faith, He cannot be boxed in; we can never say that we have got Him figured out. If we think we have Him figured out He will amaze and amuse us!
Think about a specific need in your life; an issue that will only change if it receives a touch from heaven. Maybe it is wisdom that is needed for making a decision; maybe the need is physical healing; or maybe the need is for healing an emotional scar.
Too often even Christians fall into “blindly” accepting “the hand of fate,” when God wants to do a work in them for His glory! (9:3)
Today, we still cannot accurately predict what God will do – He is still notoriously unpredictable in many things (absolutes never change; however, God delivers His grace in a multiplicity of ways). God is still in the miracle business.
When I first came to Christ, a pastor said that the age of miracles was over because we now have the Word of God. That surely was inaccurate as I have personally experienced God’s miracles in my life.
The miracle He wants to do in our lives may not be to change our circumstances (though He can certainly do that). It may be the daily miracle of giving us the strength through pain, heartache, or through our weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
Wonder what it would be like for you to ask the Lord right now to surprise you!
God is still able to make the blind to see — to have the scales fall from the eyes. Sometimes the blindness is physical, sometimes it is a result of trauma, sometimes it is spiritual — but God is able to address a person where they are, regardless of their condition.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!
