Spiritual blindness

We are going through the Gospel of John in the Explore the Bible series these two quarters. For more devotionals on John, see johnoneday.blogspot.com

 

To see, you must first admit your blindness

(John 9:26-41)

These verses reveal that Jesus healed the blind man not just to deliver him from darkness, but to show how dark sin truly is and how spiritually blind some people, even religious people, can be. Do you remember what you had to first recognize in yourself in order to be saved? You must first admit your own sinfulness and that you were helpless to save yourself.

 

Notice how the Pharisees continued to harass the man in whom Jesus had done a miracle. They had become so blinded that they did not know how ridiculous they sounded, even to the healed man (see his joking and incredulity in verses 27 and 30).
 

Judging from verse 34, what do you think was the sin that was blinding the Pharisees from the truth of Christ’s miracle? What was it that they could see in others but they could not see in themselves?

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Could you also have a "blind spot" in your life, a sin which you can see in others but oblivious to it in your own life? Jesus said elsewhere remove the log from your own eye before you try to cast the speck out from someone else.  

 

To be cast out, as seen in verse 22 and 34-35, means to be “excommunicated” from the Jewish faith, to no longer be allowed to worship in the synagogue. Since you became a Christian, have you experienced any shunning or being “cast out” from your family, your friends, your co-workers, even your church? If so, describe how and how you felt?

 

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Notice that Jesus cared for the man who was “cast out” and came personally to Him to comfort him. If you have been cast out because of your faith, know that Jesus has and will continually seek you out and encourage you.

 

Do you believe that the Pharisees “saw” themselves as sinners? (See verses 24, 34). If true vision means being able to “see” yourself as a sinner in need of forgiveness, and if spiritual blindness means “seeing” yourself as being able to work for your own righteousness before God, then paraphrase verse 41 in the lines below in terms of how unbelievers “see” and how they are “blind.”

 

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Pray This Prayer To God: “Dear Jesus. Thank you for the forgiveness of my sins. I am absolutely helpless without you. Keep my heart from pride and arrogance when I look at the sins of others. I believe in you and worship you as the Savior of my soul and the giver of sight to my true spiritual condition. Amen.”