Today we dive into John 9 in #Beloved #LentChallenge.
The ninth chapter of John explores the issue of physical and spiritual blindness in the most beautiful and profound way.
Jesus sees a man who has been blind from birth, a man who was born different, with a disability, and marginalized because of it.
One can only imagine the disappointment and difficulties, the rejection and anger that he felt growing up.
The challenges he faced physically were only made worse by the cultural and religious beliefs of the day.
It was widely accepted that for a person born with a disability of any kind, either the person or their parents had sin in their lives. Can you imagine the guilt, the shame that placed on every family whose child wasn’t born perfectly healthy?
It’s cruel. Yet this belief is so ingrained in the culture that even the disciples believe it. Looking at the blind man, they ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?”
Can you imagine the look of shock and dismay on their faces when Jesus answers, “Neither! No one sinned. The man was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in his life.”
Jesus makes one of his famous “I AM” statements: I am the light of the world.
Jesus spits on the ground, creates clay with the moist dirt, and applies it to the blind man’s eyes
and tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Something is demanded of him, a theme we’ll see reappear throughout the Gospel of John. He must go to a specific place and perform a specific action.
When he does, his eyes are opened. His vision isn’t restored, remember, he’s born blind.
This is the first time he’s experienced visual beauty. Can you imagine the moment?
The beauty of the God’s creation. The wonder of looking on a human face for the first time.. Brilliant colors flood his eyes. Sights ignite his imagination
I imagine him wide-eyed, taking in all the sights and scenes, when the neighbors begin to realize they can’t walk by unnoticed any more. He sees them.
An argument breaks out. One person says, “That’s blind guy who was a beggar. And someone else says, “No way that’s him.” Another person pipes up, “It only looks like him!”
The man announces, “It’s me! It’s me!”
Instead of responding to this beautiful moment that someone in their community has been healed with celebration and joy, they begin interrogating him.
They take him to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, and pick apart his story.
This raises the question of who in this story has the glaring blind spot.
Who is not seeing clearly? Who can’t recognize the beautiful work of God?
What do I most need to read but least want to hear?
The whole story raises the question of how often God wants to expose a blind spot in my life, and I respond like the religious leaders.
I close my eyes and turn away. I don’t want to see, because if I see, if I truly see than it’s going to shift how I see God, others, and even myself. Yet in the process I rob myself o the beautiful work God wants to do.
The blind man can’t see clearly. First, because he’s blind. Second, because once his eyes are opened he’s not quite sure what’s going on.
And in our own lives, we too must realize that we don’t see clearly. We have blind spots.
Sometimes are vision is distorted by culture or religious upbringing than we ever realize. Sometimes we don’t recognize that the beliefs of those in our own community are askew. Sometimes we forget that even if we score perfectly in bible trivia test that doesn’t mean our vision is 20/20.
Like the blind man in the story we are utterly dependent on the person of Jesus Christ to open our eyes.
To expose our blind spots.
To allow us to see clearly.
To cleanse us from our sins.
To perform a beautiful work in our lives.
Where are your blind spots?
Where are the areas where you don’t see clearly?
Or rather are there areas where someone has tried to expose a blind spot in your life and you’ve refused to listen?
What did you least want to read but most need to hear in today’s reading?
(If you have any questions post them below. We’ll be collecting and gathering responses for insight from New Testament scholar, Craig Blomberg in the upcoming weeks).
Day 18: John 9 Discussion Questions:
- In what ways is the healing of the blind man a fulfillment of Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world?
- Read Psalm 146:8. How is this true for you spiritually? Relationally? Emotionally?
- What would you like God to reveal to you or help you see more clearly in your life right now? Write out your answer as a prayer.
- Using the Color Method, what stood out to you most from today’s reading?
- What do you find most challenging about today’s reading? What do you find most comforting about today’s reading?
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Recommended Resources:
- Open the Eyes of My Heart by Michael W. Smith
- The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg
- John by N.T. Wright
Day 1 | John 1:1-18 | Ash Wednesday: Your Invitation to Discover the Beloved
Day 2 | John 1:19-34 | This One Question Will Leave You Undone
Day 3 | John 1: 35-51 | What to Tell Your Children Before It’s Too Late
Day 4 | John 2:1-12 | The Shocking Miracle of Water Becoming Wine
Day 7 | John 3:22-36 | There’s a Hidden Slip N’ Slide in the Bible — I Found It!
Day 9 | John 5:1-17 | How to Overcome Jealousy
Day 12 | John 6:15-35 | What to Do When You Doubt God
Day 14 | John 7:1-39 | What’s the Difference Between Dead and Living Water?
Day 16 | John 8:1-1 | You Stumped Me… Again
Day 17 | John 8:12-59 | 7 Surprises in the Gospel of John
Day 18 | John 9 | What does spiritual blindness really cost you?
Day 22 | John 12:1-11 | What’s Your Signature Spiritual Scent?
Day 23 | John 12:12-50 | Here is a Method That is Helping Me Relinquish Control
Day 25 | John 15:1-11 | What Does a Vinter See in John 15?
Day 29 | John 16:1-15 | Little Known Ways to Be of Good Cheer
Day 31 | John 17 | The Truth About Soul Talk
Day 33 | John 18:12-40 | Was it Judas or Satan Working through Judas?
Day 35 | John 19:16-30 | What’s a Woman’s Role?
Day 39 | John 21:1-14 | Why is the Weight of the Wait So Heavy on Good Friday?
Day 40 | John 21:15-25 | The Most Powerful Lesson I Learned During Lent
Ooh… good tough food for thought Margaret. I’m going to make a mental note to pay attention if someone tries to expose a blind spot and listen. Keep my ears and eyes open Lord for your direction and redirection.
I love how the previously blind man totally schools the Pharisees. “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes… If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” A personal encounter with God clarifies our vision. We may not be able to fully understand or explain the encounter, but we are moved to believe because of what he allows us to see.
I love that part, too, Gail! Hugs!
Margaret this is so good. Like, SO GOOD. It’s scary to think that there are things I am blind to but at the same time, if I want my life with God to be LIVING and ACTIVE, I cannot stay comfortable in that which I’ve always known or, perhaps, only THINK I know to be True. What do I least want to read but most need to hear today? That I, too, can be the Pharisee, deeply religious but desperately blind. My prayer for us all is that we would allow the Holy Spirit unfettered access to our minds and hearts and be willing to receive the mud on our eyes and wash when we need to, so that we may always be able to see when God, when our Precious Jesus is right there in our midst.
Beautiful prayer, Lisa. Thank you for sharing!
Hello Margaret
How many times have people tried to tell me something to help me and I get upset. “Don’t tell me what to do!” Or “Don’t tell me things I already know!” Jesus speaks through others to help us. I love this story and I am trying hard to fix my blind spots. The truth can be hard to face. I love Jesus and He healed me of a serious illness but I need to listen better in some areas of my life. I owe that much to Him.
Nancy
It can be so hard at times, Nancy. Hugs!
It is encouraging how this man was blind and now he see. God is good and He is a healer. Because He steal working miracle today. He is working on me. Pray for me.
We are all a work in progress! Hugs & prayers, Jo-Ann!
Wow! Huge statement: Sometimes we forget that even if we score perfectly in bible trivia test that doesn’t mean our vision is 20/20. Very convicting statement. Thanks for “opening my eyes” today, Margaret.
Thanks for joining the conversation, Carol! Hugs!
I have been pondering over the story of the blind man receiving his sight for the last couple of days. Something about these words spoke to me:
Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Also verse 8 when the neighbours asked if the man that had received his sight was not the same one who used to sit and beg.
I only realised the understanding of this scripture this morning as I sang the hymn Jesus keep me near the cross by Fanny Crosby. I then read the history of this hymn as well as Fanny’s.
Fanny was also blind but unlike the man in this story, she became blind after 6 weeks of being born. What’s remarkable about her are the hymns that she wrote:
Blessed assurance;
All the way my Savior leads me
To God be the glory, great things He has done
Take the world but give me Jesus.
These hymns, when listened to, speak to the soul and speak what is inside one’s soul. They help bring us closer to God. Most of us are familiar with Blessed Assurance. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. Imagine Fanny doing that whilst trapped in the darkness of not being able to see. The different way that she experienced Jesus. We see Jesus in everything around us that He has created. She doesn’t have that luxury.
What I learnt from Fanny is that being constantly surrounded by darkness, as we often do in the form of life’s troubles if not actual blindness; it matters the most what we do with the blindness and in the midst of the darkness. Through Fanny’s gift of song, we are able to see God’s works in our lives. That is how Fanny has chosen to allow Jesus into her life to shine His light into her darkness. She received her “sight” with her music. She was able to see Jesus. As long as it was day, she did God’s works. She wasn’t content with sitting and begging. She did the best she could for her Jesus.
When she was asked what would be the one she would ask for if she knew that it would be granted to her, she said she would wish for continuous blindness until she dies because the first face that she wants to be able to see is that of Jesus. That’s the first face that the blind man saw when he received his, the face of Jesus.
The beauty about Jesus is that even if we have hit rock bottom and are content with sitting and begging, He still comes to us and offers us the gift of sight without us seeking Him.
When we welcome in Jesus to restore our sight and bring light into our dark spaces, the people around us will be drawn to that state of being and want the same for themselves. Others may prefer to remind of who we used to be and what we did. However, when their blindness is converted into sight and their dark spaces illuminated by Jesus light, we will find ourselves in the kind of world that God envisioned when He made all of creation. A world where light, love, peace and justice rules. It all starts with us welcoming Him in.
My prayer? Jesus, help me to fight the temptation to be like the Pharisees who did not recognise the light and therefore did not see the Father’s works being displayed to them because of their own blindness which they did not even recognise.
Oh, wow…people are asking “isn’t this the same man?…
Are others questioning if we are the same person? Has Jesus changed us so radically that we are unrecognizable?