Help Us To "See"

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” [John 9.39]

This is an intriguing passage. And, it's even more intriguing when we consider that Jesus sent His followers into the world as He was sent into the world (John 20.21).

The intrigue of Jesus' statement here is found in both the natural and physical elements of it. Jesus physically healed the blind man. However, Jesus' life and ministry spiritually blinded the elite religious leaders.

Regarding what one believes today about physical healing, is not this same confrontation contemporary to our times as well? There is an elite religious element that refutes physical healing in ministry. Oh, they will say, "God can heal," but then a plethora of religious justification for why God doesn't heal usually follows. We all know this is true.

Why, in Christendom, would anyone want to discourage healing?

The answer is simple: Pride.

The very idea of healing puts the would-be believer's faith on trial (whether a novice believer or a seasoned elite minister). And, because of prevailing faithlessness among "believers" in general today, pride demands that some explanation must be devised to cover the insufficiency. Instead of repenting for lack of faith (God forbid that they could be wrong), many elite religious people proudly defend their faithlessness (whether to heal or be healed) with powerless religion.

The religious leaders confirmed the miracle of the blind man made to see in today's story and all they could do was bash the healed man because he was a sinner and discredit Jesus because He healed on the sacred Sabbath. Rather than rejoicing in the wonders of miraculous healing, the religious leaders of this story became "blind" at their own 'religious' hands in the same way as those who oppose healing do today.

And yet, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13.8). Healing still today causes great division between those who "see" and those who do not "see." Pride, as it was then, and remains today, is the dividing line.

Brothers and sisters, let us repent of our pride!

Father, help us to "see." Forgive me - forgive us - for defending our faithlessness. Forgive us for proudly refusing to see...