John 9:34-39
New International Version (NIV)
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Boy... in some ways, don't you envy this guy? He saw (literally!) the work of God with his very own eyes. He saw it in a powerful and undeniable way. It sort of makes you think, why does God not do miracles like that today? Then everyone would believe! They would have to believe!
But the truth is, that lots of people saw this miracle with their own eyes. Even the guy's parents saw it - firsthand - and yet it didn't result in a lifechanging faith. It's difficult for me to fathom, but as usual, the Lord was right... some people's hearts are rocky and unfertile.
The good news is that this man did respond to what he saw. When he realized the power of God, he acknowledged it, and he worshipped God. Even so, the fruits of our lives as Christians will result in action in those whose hearts are "good ground". The question is, do we produce fruit for others to see? Or do people view us any differently from the world around us? There was no question in this man's mind that Jesus was of God. Is there any question that we are of God to the people around us? It's a question worth asking ourselves. We are the only "miracle" the world will ever see.
Good post and good idea for your study. We have seen but will see even more of a difference in you after this study
ReplyDeleteSonny O