| He replied, 'Whether he is a sinner of not, I don't know. | | | | The blindness of stubbornness and stupidness a.k.a. |
| One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!' | | | | argumentativeness is far worse than physical |
| ~John 9:25 (NIV). | | | | blindness. We know this when we find ourselves in a |
| Can you just imagine the conundrum the Pharisees | | | | fight with someone who won't let go of their issue, no |
| had? A blind man healed, but on the Sabbath. They | | | | matter how sound our argument or case is. They |
| didn't like the Jesus fellow anyway; this only clouds | | | | simply will not listen. (Of course, our challenge is still to |
| their judgment as they question and consider the once | | | | listen to them.) |
| blind man. | | | | There was a reason Paul had the tradition of going |
| But the once blind man was never talking the | | | | into the Synagogues for three consecutive Sunday's in |
| Pharisees around--it was never going to happen. | | | | a new mission destination (Acts 17:2); he had to give |
| The Pharisees, like many today, had a divergent, | | | | the Jews the opportunity to hear about this Jesus, the |
| entirely self-serving and evil intent. Manufacturing a | | | | Saviour of the world. |
| godless rule-bound faith was their stock-in-trade, and | | | | But all too often he met the same theme: spiritual |
| they were determined to ruin any case that didn't | | | | blindness and hardened hearts. |
| cooperate with theirs--which is based in a corruptive | | | | And so what are we to do? |
| power; a mind of its own and certainly not after God's | | | | In our belief, we're going way on beyond the |
| mind on things. Certainly this is what led to Jesus' trial, | | | | argumentative. |
| flogging and crucifixion. From the Pharisees' viewpoint | | | | They're stuck--and perhaps forever so--in their |
| Jesus had to be dealt with. Little did they know this | | | | argumentative and spiritually blind states. And there |
| was his precise Divine purpose! | | | | they shall remain, without light and certainly without |
| But now in John 9, the Pharisees met their match with | | | | hope and knowledge of a God who loves them with a |
| the blind man. | | | | love beyond any earthly love. |
| He argues very effectively (in John 9:30-34) that Jesus | | | | And they do not need God (though we know this to |
| must've been from God. So, the Pharisees throw him | | | | be a vast folly, pervasive through humankind). Our |
| out. The Pharisees (and those like them today and | | | | Jesus came to turn the tables on the spiritually proud. |
| through all ages) are those who can see but who're | | | | He offers a 'leg-up' to those poor-in-spirit, that he might |
| spiritually blind (John 9:39). | | | | come and make all the difference. |
| Jesus beckons the argumentative of all ages. 'Taste | | | | And this is our golden reality: the Divine 'lottery ticket' |
| and "see" that I'm good,' he says. In other words, | | | | we all qualify to win. |
| 'Decide, now, upon the evidence I'm showing you.' | | | | © 2010 S. J. Wickham. |