How Then Were Your Eyes Open?
There was a man who had been born blind from birth. Most people assumed that he was blind because of some sin that either he, or his parents had committed. This perception was wrong because this blindness was to be used to display the work of God.
Sometimes certain things happen, not because of luck, or fate, but because the glory of God might be revealed, and His kingdom advanced. Other times, however, certain things do happen because of our sin, and our bad choices. In the case of the man who was born blind, the reason was not the latter.
Who opened his eyes?
God opened his eyes. Jesus put some mud on his eyes, and told him to go wash himself. After the man did this, he went home seeing. God is the one who opens our eyes, and when we believe, then we see.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27
What happens after we can see?
Others take notice, and are curious about what has happened.
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” John 9:8
“How then were your eyes open?” they demanded. John 9:10
“Where is this man?” they asked him. John 9:12
The man who was blind, but can now see, speaks in truth, yet some will choose not to believe, and will go against God.
The Jews still did not believe that he had been born blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. John 9:18
The religious leaders called the man’s parents in for questioning, but got nowhere. They kept silent because they could have been put out of the synagogue for acknowledging that Jesus was the Christ, so the religious leaders brought the man back in to question him some more. They still did not get it, and were looking for some other explanation to satisfy themselves.
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” John 9:26
Even though the religious leaders had heard the whole story, they refused to believe. When the man asked them if they also wanted to be His disciples, since they kept asking him questions, they began to insult him. When there is nothing left to say, and the truth is not accepted, the direct insults will come.
The man answered them by saying that if Jesus was not from God, He wouldn’t be able to do anything. The religious leaders were full of pride, and kicked the man out for attempting to teach them. What they saw was a man who was a sinner since his birth, and did not see any sin in their own lives at all, and for this reason, they were the ones who were truly blind.
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:41
Jesus found the man later on, after hearing that he had been thrown out by the religious leaders, and He asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. The man asked Jesus who the Son of Man was, and Jesus told him that he was looking at Him, and speaking with Him. The man believed, and he worshiped the Lord.
Jesus said that He came into the world so that the blind would see, and to make those who thought they could see, aware that they were blind.
This was the process:
God opened the eyes and revealed Himself.
There was faith and obedience in His word.
Questions came from those who refused to believe.
Truth is made known.
Some believe, and some do not.
Opposition comes.
God is glorified through faith and worship.
Notice that this is the typical process of those who come to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. By God’s grace alone, He saved us by opening our eyes, and revealing Himself to us. We never needed to look for Him because He made sure that we saw Him where we were at.
Do you see?
Do you believe?
Dave Earley http://www.init-2-winit.org/forum http://www.init-2-winit.org/faithlikeamustardseed
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