24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains.
But in this passage we see the Jewish leaders doing the same thing. They are dismissing a man, who Jesus healed of blindness, saying "you were born in utter sin". That his sinfulness caused his blindness. And there are times, don't get me wrong, when God used blindness to shall i say discipline someone. Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus. There was a king in the OT who went crazy for seven years. These are acts of God that were at least in part due to the sinfulness in the people involved. The Jewish leaders didn't want to listen to the blind man because he was "born in utter sin"
In their conversations with the blind man (now seeing) they kept saying they are followers of Moses and they don't know from where Jesus came. I love the man's response: "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." Truer words eh? Only God can truly cure blindness, and this man knows it. He also knows that if he were so sinful, God would not have healed him. (granted all people are born in sin, and God gives us grace upon grace). He knows that worshipers of God are listened to by God. So now he can see and he knows who did it. The Jewish leaders simply don't want to believe hm and therefore cast him out.
Jesus comes to him, tells him who he is and the man worships him. He knows even more now and worships. Isn't cool? He already knew that God was the author of his healing, and now he knows that Jesus is "the Son of Man" and worthy of worship.
This leads us to the part that captured my heart this morning: Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains. Jesus talks about his reason for coming into the world... to bring judgement. He wants to show people truth and some just won't see it and will remain blind.
This gets some of the Pharisees curious. What.. Are we blind they wonder?
And because their hearts and minds aren't open.. they are blind even though they think they can see.
The blind KNOW they are blind. So when they see truth they can see it.
But folks who are determined they know the truth, it is hard for them to see anything else.
Makes me think of House.. you know the doctor on TV.. who is such a died in the whole atheist...who just can't see the truth. He is so blind to the reality that is God and thinks it's balderdash. Nothing changes his mind, though occasionally he did look thoughtful.. he just couldn't let his notion of truth go.
Let me know when I cam blind.
Let me be a seeker after truth.
Let me be one who sees God.
Let me not be one who thinks I know better and end up just being gulity.
Let me see!
That's what this passage makes me cry out in my heart.
Let me not be truly blind. Let me see!