Open Our Eyes, Lord by Bryan Craig

And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.  John 9:2-3 ESV

I’ve always been fascinated by this story out of John 9.  If you have never read it or studied it, I encourage you to do so.  But let me give you a brief summary:  Jesus encounters a man who has been blind since birth, and his disciples assume that his blindness must have been the result of sin.  FALSE THEOLOGY ALERT!  Many people have hurt others in the church when they encounter those who are sick, and they quickly equate it as being punishment from God for sin.  It is true that sometimes our sin leads us to damaging physical consequences, but oftentimes, this is not the case.  This is similar to Job’s friends who kept trying to get him to repent so his calamity could cease.  Little did they know, Job was considered by God the most righteous man on earth and his afflictions were part of a bigger plan.

Back to the story… Jesus proceeds to heal the man who had been blind since birth, and the people who had known him his whole life were amazed.  Some doubted it could be the same person.  The formerly blind man did not even know this man named Jesus, but he knew that he had been healed.  All of this clamor drew the attention of the Pharisees so they started their own investigation.  As they questioned the man, he just told them honestly what happened.  They were trying to get him to say that “Jesus is the Christ” but he just said, “He must be a prophet.”   Then, they interrogated the man’s parents, but they feared retribution, so they played dumb.  

So, they called the man back in for more questioning, and you can tell that the man is getting perturbed.  The Pharisees did not want to give Jesus credit for doing a miracle, as they called him a sinner, and they said they wanted the glory to go to God.  Little did they know…Jesus WAS God, standing right in front of them.  They didn’t know Jesus any more than the formerly blind man.  But I love the man’s response:

“Whether he is a sinner I do not know.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  And they again asked for his account of what happened, to which he said, “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?”  Oh, that was a zinger.  It got under their skin.  And he went on:  “Why this is an amazing thing!  You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  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.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”  AMEN!  PRAISE GOD! PREACH IT, BROTHER!  

I want to shout praise, as I see this man who doesn’t even know Jesus, yet was touched by him, speaking boldly about Him and giving Him glory, not afraid of the Pharisees.  Yes!

The Pharisees kicked him out of the synagogue, and the first person to come talk to him was Jesus.  He revealed to the man that He is the Son of Man, the Christ, and it says the man believed and worshiped him.  How beautiful.  

I love this story for so many reasons, but I think my favorite thing is how Jesus enters into our brokenness, our sickness, our frailty, our religion and He turns everything upside down.  God allowed this terrible affliction of blindness in this man’s life to endure until it came time for Jesus to be glorified by healing him.  It may seem like an undesirable plan, to have to endure blindness for so long, but what a story, what a legacy, what an amazing journey that we are still talking about.  

Perhaps this whole life story was created to make an important point of how we are all born with sin, and because of that, we cannot see the things of God, but Jesus came to set us free from our sin and open the eyes of our hearts so we can see the Kingdom of God.  Then, we, like the blind man, can bear witness to what Jesus did for us.  We, too, can realize it is all about Jesus and believe in Him and His power and worship Him.  

But maybe it’s also about some lifelong affliction you have been enduring since your birth.  It may not be a health issue.  It could be your family of origin and generational sin that seems to have been passed down to you.  Some people call these family curses.  You may struggle with the same sins over and over again, and it seems hopeless.  It could be your circumstances of where you live and work that you have despised your whole life.  It could be your appearance.  It could be your sexuality.  

Whatever the case, Jesus wants to walk into your life and into your situation.  He alone has the power to touch you and help you see your life through His eyes.  There is likely a holy purpose behind the things in your life, even the things that have caused you suffering.  And you may feel you have been born this way.  It is not the result of sin.  Either way, Jesus alone can forgive, He can heal, He can reveal Himself to you in a way that brings Him glory and impacts the world around you in a powerful way.

Jesus is still here on earth through His Spirit, doing amazing things.  He wants to help you.  He wants you to know it’s Him.  Don’t let bitterness keep you from receiving what Jesus wants to give you.  And don’t let religion and your desire to control outcomes get in the way of seeing Jesus do a miracle.  Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart so you can see, and you, too, can become His disciple.

For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. John 9:39