“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 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.”
John 9:35-41
This passage talks about a blind man that Jesus healed. The blind man didn’t know the Son of Man. Jesus spit on clay and placed it on his eyes and asked him to go wash and then he was able to see.
It’s crazy to think that at one time, we were not able to come to God in prayer or come to Him for anything because we could not see that we were separated from Him because of our sin and rebellion. Even crazier to think we could not see that we were His enemy. James 4:4.
Over the years my heart has changed towards how I see prayer and going to church. It’s changed towards paying tithes and serving in our church congregation.
My heart has even changed with making time for God.
Everyone has been called to be His, but are we? Not His in the sense of do we believe He is Lord over all? Even the demons know that He is. Are we His? As in those who seek to live out their lives in the way He is asking? Someone who sees that the way they live their life isn’t how God has asked them to.
One thing I have to ask myself is if my perspective allows me to see things clearly?
Do I understand and able to see that I am praying to a Holy God? That it’s a privilege to be able to approach Him and ask Him of anything. An enemy of His can’t.
But how can I approach Him and ask of anything if I am not in right standing with Him? (Meaning have I repented of my sins?) But not repent only because I know I did wrong, but because I see that sin is disgusting and it separates me from Him. That it breaks His heart. That it offends Him.
Can I see that conviction is a blessing, because it’s confirmation that I am His. Only the Holy Spirit convicts about the things of God. But can I see that His Spirit is proof that my heart isn’t hardened towards Him?
Do can I see that everything I have is from Him? That my finances, my life, my family, my ministry, my gifts and abilities, everything is from Him. That it’s a privilege to be able to give to Him.
His children know this and never have to be convinced or guilted into giving back what was never ours to begin with. They see the blessing isn’t what we get back from giving or having the ability to give. The blessing is Him.
He doesn’t need anything from us. He wants and longs for a heart that sees who He is.
Can I see that even serving in church is a blessing. Jesus came and He served. That’s why He washed feet because back in those times, only the lowest of the low washed feet. Why does it burden us to be obedient in this way? Maybe it’s because we can’t see that we are called to serve and blind to what He is asking?
He loved us, He served us, He forgave us, He blessed us, He spent time with us, He died for us. He showed us grace. He gave us His Spirit, He broke strong holds and trampled over the enemy so that the enemy wouldn’t trample over us.
But most importantly He gave us the ability to see Him. He allows us to know Him on this personal level. He allows us to be in communion with Him. He allows us to spend time with Him, to seek Him and ask Him of things….something no one was able to do when blind.
It’s a miracle to see Him.
Everything we do, is by His grace alone. Even our works. But the defining moment…is not the ability to be able to know why, but to see why. The Pharisees knew a lot, but couldn’t see Him.
The Bible says a person who has been forgiven much is grateful much. That blind man was not able to see from birth, just like all of us born to this world. We are blind until we are reborn. Meaning we no longer see things how we once did but are changed to see how He sees.
Are we grateful? Not only in our hearts but in how we live? Can we see that we are no longer blind to sin but given sight to see God for who He always has been? The Son of Man. The one who died for us.
The Pharisees asked Jesus if they were blind and He said that “if you were blind you would have no guilt”. Yet they said they could see, yet they had no guilt. Means they were blind even in what they could see.
Cynthia M. Benavides 