CHOOSING TO BECOME BLIND

No one would ever choose to become blind, yet that is what Jesus accused the Pharisees of when they responded adversely to the miracle of the man born blind being healed.

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”John 9:39

What started out like any other day, begging for food, turned into something unbelievably spectacular, when Jesus accosts the blind man, mixes his spit with some mud, applies it on the man’s eyes, and asks him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. This reminds us of God creating Adam, breathing into the dust of the earth his Spirit to create a man. In Jesus’ remedy for the man was the combination of the created mud, the life giving spit and finally the faith the man applied when he took Jesus at his word, believed in him and got healed. Amazing things happen on a daily basis when these three come together- the created things of this world, godly principles and faith, to create miracles.

The blind man, being the subject of this miracle, explored the healing and finally went further as he found Jesus also as the Savior of his life, moving on to worship him. He not only was physically healed, but also found his spiritual blindness removed. Yet, the Pharisees responded to the same miracle with a deepening blindness. 

The first problem with the Pharisees was that they had already chosen to darken their souls. They knew all the right words, laws and principles and had amassed great knowledge but had a corrupted core. Imagine you are stranded on an island and finally manage to get hold a coconut and are filled with great expectation as it looks large and promising. It is no easy task to skin a raw coconut and finally after you are able to remove the husk, you reach the nut only to find that it is rotten and of no use. Even though they investigate the healing, it appears that they had already made up their minds to dismiss the miracle and reject Christ. To have a sensitive core that is willing is respond to God and seek the truth without preconceived prejudice is a rare find and that is what God asks his disciples to have. 

The other problem with the Pharisees was that they chose to define their lives by a pursuit of power. Every person appears to be on a mission to seek the influential, to promote self and become more powerful. Does it really matter? Only if you have no God, no faith and no hope for the future. The Pharisees were threatened by Jesus and sought to destroy him so as not diminish their own authority. In the process, they hurtled themselves toward total blindness. They appeared to have it all, but really ended up losing everything in their adverse response to Christ.

• ← CANNIBALISTIC DISCIPLESHIP
• A COMPASS FOR THE SOUL →