“I can see! I can see smiles. I can see sunsets and sunrises. I can see colors. I can see where I am walking. I can see!”
Jesus healed the blind beggar and for the very first time in his life, he could see. He would be forever changed. Can you imagine his awe and wonder and joy? But there are annoying people in each of our lives who just cannot rejoice and celebrate with us in our victories. And too often, we can’t avoid them. The Pharisees were those kind of people.
John 9:13 reports that it all began when the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Simple as that. A testimony was born. A life redefined.
But the Pharisees didn’t believe the man so they intimidated and interrogated his parents. Mom and Dad also stated the facts. Yes, he is our son. Yes, he was born blind. They added, ”But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age, he will speak for himself.”
So the Pharisees summoned the man for a second time.
His story remained consistent. “I was blind but now I see.”
The man stood strong in his testimony so the Pharisees hurled insults and threw him out of the synagogue.
One minute, on top of the world. The next minute, rejected and disparaged. But Jesus found the man and revealed His identity as the Son of Man. Aha! Spiritual blindness became spiritual sight. The man responded, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped Him.
I may not be skilled in defending my faith against the arguments of brilliant critics, partly because I’m not as smart but mostly because there are things I don’t understand myself. I have wrestled with tensions discovered in Scripture and settled on faith. But of this I am confident: I know who I was before encountering Christ. I know where the affection of my heart was devoted. And I know who I am now. I know the radical change of my heart. I know! I’m a totally different woman, a new creation. I have a new heart with new desires. My life has been redefined. I can only describe the transformation as miraculous. Such a radical change can only be attributed to God and His grace.
The gospel changed my life. Christ changed my life. And yes, there are scoffers but they can ridicule me all they want and they can reject me. However, what they cannot do is debate my testimony of God’s power to do the impossible. I know that I know.
I identify with the blind beggar because I was once blind to spiritual truths but now I see. I was________________ and now I’m_________________. (I know my answers for those blanks.) I was __________________ but I’m learning to be ___________________. (I also know my answers for these blanks.)
And like the blind man, my gratitude is expressed through faith and worship.
Thoughts to ponder:
Am I keeping my eyes opened to matters of eternal importance?
Is my testimony used for God’s fame?
debponders 