How Do You See?
The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." John 9:15-17, RSV.
Seeing, for most of us, is an extremely important part of life. We cannot imagine what it is like to be blind, let alone to be born that way. Thus we are careful throughout life to protect our eyes. They are precious to us.
In John 9 we find the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. Not exactly an everyday occasion in most neighborhoods. It wasn't in that one either. Everybody was shocked.
The miracle was astounding. The only problem in the Jewish mind was that it happened on the weekly Sabbath. That brought the Pharisees into play.
The best way that we can describe their spiritual vision after questioning the healed man is fuzzy and blurred. As a group they didn't know what to think. Some doubted that it had even happened until they questioned the man's parents. With that escape route to denial blocked, they faced a conundrum. Some said nobody is of God who does such things on the Sabbath. But others pointed out that sinners couldn't possibly do such a miracle. All in all, we can only consider them as confused.
Then there were the parents. They had no doubt that their son had been born blind and now saw clearly. But in the end they let fear of getting put out of the synagogue, and possibly losing their social standing in the community, distort their own vision. As a result, they saw through eyes of fear.
Last, there was the man himself. The most important thing to him was that he saw at all, something he had never been able to do in his entire life. He knew he had experienced a first-class miracle.
When asked who Jesus was, he at first called Him a prophet (John 9:17). But he will eventually see Him as Lord and worship Him (verse 38). The healed man saw through the eyes of faith.
How is it with me today? How do I see? How is my spiritual eyesight?
Father, please help me see You more clearly. Help me to put away distorting fear. Enable me to see ever more vividly through eyes of faith.
The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." John 9:15-17, RSV.
Seeing, for most of us, is an extremely important part of life. We cannot imagine what it is like to be blind, let alone to be born that way. Thus we are careful throughout life to protect our eyes. They are precious to us.
In John 9 we find the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. Not exactly an everyday occasion in most neighborhoods. It wasn't in that one either. Everybody was shocked.
The miracle was astounding. The only problem in the Jewish mind was that it happened on the weekly Sabbath. That brought the Pharisees into play.
The best way that we can describe their spiritual vision after questioning the healed man is fuzzy and blurred. As a group they didn't know what to think. Some doubted that it had even happened until they questioned the man's parents. With that escape route to denial blocked, they faced a conundrum. Some said nobody is of God who does such things on the Sabbath. But others pointed out that sinners couldn't possibly do such a miracle. All in all, we can only consider them as confused.
Then there were the parents. They had no doubt that their son had been born blind and now saw clearly. But in the end they let fear of getting put out of the synagogue, and possibly losing their social standing in the community, distort their own vision. As a result, they saw through eyes of fear.
Last, there was the man himself. The most important thing to him was that he saw at all, something he had never been able to do in his entire life. He knew he had experienced a first-class miracle.
When asked who Jesus was, he at first called Him a prophet (John 9:17). But he will eventually see Him as Lord and worship Him (verse 38). The healed man saw through the eyes of faith.
How is it with me today? How do I see? How is my spiritual eyesight?
Father, please help me see You more clearly. Help me to put away distorting fear. Enable me to see ever more vividly through eyes of faith.
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