Blindness

At the end of yesterday's (October 23rd) reading, we read of a blind man given the gift of sight on the Sabbath, yet again infuriating the Pharisees. At the beginning of today's reading, we see where the man went back to Jesus to find out more about the man who healed him. When Jesus told the man that he was indeed the Messiah, the man simply said "Lord, I believe." Would that when we're in similar situations that our statement is as brief and heartfelt.

The Pharisees were a different matter altogether, not even remotely understanding the concept of spiritual blindness. It's too late for them, but in the modern age, we can be just as spiritually blind as the Pharisees if we don't acknowledge some simple truths:

1. Most of the miracles that Jesus performed can be replicated with modern medicine, but giving sight to the blind is still beyond our capabilities. 

2. Even if medical advances allowed for the granting of sight to blind people, there is no way that a blind person could heal that blindness on their own--someone else needs to do it.

3. Especially for a person blind from birth, describing ANYTHING is close to impossible, or at least beyond my capabilities. Try explaining what a tree is when a blind person has no knowledge of shapes, colors, height or any other the other numerous facets that make up the totality of what a tree is. 

4. For all practical purposes, the blind cannot travel without some sort of assistance.

This is a picture of total helplessness, and the spiritually blind are in the same jam. In spiritual blindness, we can't see God, know God or understand God no matter how hard we try, and every effort will be in vain. Only through the Holy Spirit can our hearts and minds be opened to understand first, that we are indeed blind, and second, that we don't have to stay that way. Once that gift has been bestowed upon us, a great responsibility has then been given us--the order to assist others in overcoming their spiritual blindness. If you think about it, once we receive our "sight," is there anything in Scripture to imply that we should keep this gift to ourselves? As usual, we know that answer, but how we live that answer is far more important.

We all know the hymn "Amazing Grace" (quick note--this hymn is NOT in the Red Hymnal), and the end of the first verse is the well-known phrase "Was blind, but now I see." The Pharisees didn't understand the concept of Grace, and it's quite possible they couldn't, given that the gift of the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, but no matter what, WE don't have any excuse today. For as many reasons as there have been people on this Earth, we were all "blind" at one point, and some of us were blessed enough to be given God's gift of "sight." Let it be our mission, and indeed our joy, to spread that gift of "sight" to all that we come in contact with.

Scott