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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise The Pharisees said, ‘Give glory to God, for we know that this Jesus is a sinner.’ How tragic that they were blind to the fact that Jesus is your Son, and when he is glorified, you are glorified! I praise you today as the God of light (John 9:4). You open the eyes of the blind so they can see physical light, and you open the eyes of the lost so they can see spiritual light. All glory to the Light of the world! Today in Your Word Today you told me how Jesus gave sight to a man who had been blind from birth (John’s sixth sign). This story teaches me several important lessons: 1) While all physical defects can be traced back to the fall, not every infirmity is the direct result of an individual’s sin. The disciples’ question about the man’s guilt revealed their thinking to be as wrong as Job’s friends (Job 4:7–8). 2) You delight to heal the damage caused by sin, but not every infirmity is meant to display your power. Some ailments are frequent and recurring (1 Tim 5:23), while others are for your glory (John 9:3). 3) Jesus put clay on the man’s eyes, but his sight was not restored until he went to the pool and washed. True faith always demonstrates itself by obedience to what you command (James 2:22). 4) Jesus deliberately “worked” on the Sabbath (he made clay) in order to restore the man’s sight. He did this to expose the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, who refused to believe in him as the Messiah (John 9:22). There are none so blind as those who will not see. 5) The Pharisees threw the man out of the synagogue, but the One who was greater than the synagogue welcomed him in. Those who are seeking the truth will find to their delight that the Truth is seeking them! Soon afterwards, Jesus used the fact that the blind beggar had been expelled from the Jewish “fold” as an opportunity to speak of himself as the Good Shepherd. His discourse teaches me that: a) he is the only way to be saved, b) those who belong to him know his voice and actively follow him, and c) his sheep are both Jews and Gentiles, which together make up one flock. Some days later, at the time of the Feast of Dedication, Jesus again used “this figure of speech” to illustrate the importance of a present, living faith. He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Jesus’ point was that his sheep are characterized by their actions: they are presently, actively listening to and following him. Such sheep will never perish, not because they are unconditionally secure, but because they are believing in Christ. Only those who are actively striving to enter the Kingdom can rest in the knowledge that they are secure in your hand (Luke 13:23–24). Reflection The Pharisees didn’t love you with all their mind, for if they had, they would have put your Word above their own tradition (John 9:16). Do I love you with all my mind? Request Father, I say with the man born blind, “Lord, I believe” (John 9:38). Help me to welcome your light and receive it with gladness. May I always listen to your Son and follow him! Thanksgiving Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus, who laid down his life for me! You gave him the authority to do this, and you loved him for his willingness to die for a world lost in sin. Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “ My Sheep Know My Voice” — Herbert Buffum. Meditation Verse: John 10:27. |