Do You Have Spiritual Blindness?

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. When he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 

John 9:35 

The man had entered life blind. Jesus’ disciples assumed that the man’s blindness was the result of sin. Whether it was the man’s sin or the man’s parents’ sin, they did not know. So they asked Jesus to reveal to them who the guilty party was. 

Jesus’ answer must have surprised them. It certainly must have changed their line of thinking. The man’s blindness was not a punishment from God. It did not flow from his sin or his parents’ sin. The man’s blindness would be used for a greater purpose. The glory of God would be revealed in Jesus as Jesus put mud on the man’s eyes and commanded him to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash. In faith, the man went. He washed. And, for the first time, he saw. 

Such a life-changing experience could not remain hidden. The newly-sighted man freely told anyone who asked him about his healing that it was the man named Jesus who had healed him. 

This honest witness brought the man before the Pharisees. They demanded to know who had healed the man and when. The Pharisees did not seek to know the truth or to know Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Rather, they sought a way to accuse Jesus of breaking the law. How could Jesus be the Son of God, or even be sent by God, if He healed on the Sabbath? 

On hearing the man’s testimony, especially the man’s conviction that Jesus must have come from God if He could heal the blind, the Pharisees insulted the man and had him thrown out. Where the Pharisees should have rejoiced in God’s glory being revealed, they rejected Jesus and the man whose testimony could have helped them in their own spiritual blindness. 

But Jesus was not like the Pharisees. Instead of throwing the man out into spiritual blindness, Jesus sought the man. Having healed the man’s physical blindness, Jesus now came to him to heal him of his spiritual blindness. Jesus introduced Himself to the man, revealed Himself as the Savior. The man believed and worshiped Him. 

The same Savior has sought us out. In the waters of baptism, He called us into His family. In the pages of Scripture, He continues to call us to a stronger faith, again and again. On the Last Day, he will not insult us or throw us out of His court. Instead, He will call us to be forever with Him, having cleansed us from sin with His holy, innocent, precious blood. Blessings, 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal/Staff Minister 

Coming up at Immanuel Lutheran School: 

❖ March 17 End of Third Quarter 

❖ March 29 Accelerated Reading Field Trip 

❖ March 21 Faculty Meeting

❖ March 23-24 Parent-Teacher Conferences