Sight for the Blind - John 9:1-41
Several hundred years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah prophesied that God would send His servant to be “a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind…” (Isaiah 42:6-7). In all the Old Testament, there is no record of someone blind from birth being miraculously healed (9:32). And then, shortly after claiming that he is God (8:58), Jesus healed a man born blind. The man’s physical sight was restored, but during his interrogation by the Pharisees, it’s clear that this healing affected him in other ways: He saw that Jesus is sent by God Himself, even if he couldn’t fully articulate it yet (9:24-34). Indeed, this miracle confirms that Jesus is the One to whom all Scripture points: the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord who will suffer and die for our sins (Isaiah 53).
It’s easy to shrug off the uncomfortable notion that we may identify more with the Pharisees or the disciples than the man Jesus heals. Those of us who have attended church most of our lives can be especially quick to equate religious observance with closeness to God–much as the Pharisees did–when in fact we are spiritually blind and stumbling around in the dark (9:24, 40-41). Or perhaps we compare ourselves to other people to temporarily numb the gnawing pain of our own inadequacy before a holy and righteous God, turning a blind eye to the needs of others in the process (9:1-2). But if we humbly accept that we are blind from birth, unable to heal ourselves and in desperate need for a Savior, Jesus will open our eyes to the beautiful reality of his kingdom, where those who are blind see the Light of the World, the true and living God (9:39; 8:12).
Michelle Runge
Alexandria Community
Questions to Ponder:
Name a time or instance where you equated religious observance with closeness to God.
What can we do to help us deal with spiritual “blind spots”?
What steps can we take to “not turn a blind eye” to those in our communities that may be in need?