In the Bible passage of Jesus healing the blind man, John 9: 39-41 captures the essence of the moment. “Jesus said; for judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Nowadays when I go to the optometrist for a routine annual eye exam, they put me in front of a new machine and direct me to peer into the lens with each eye as part of a visual field test. The technician says to focus on the center spot and watch for little “sparks” of light and to click the button in my hand whenever I see one as I’m staring into the light blue background. These little sparks appear rapidly in random sequence across my viewing spectrum. Up, down, across, diagonal. I’m clicking this little button faster than I did playing my old Atari game “Space Invaders”. Within just a couple minutes the test is over and I switch eyes to run the test again.
With the test completed, I asked the technician, “What is this testing for?” She said, “It’s to determine if you have any blind spots in your peripheral vision that may indicate early symptoms of glaucoma or retinal diseases.” So I had to ask, “How did I do?” The technician replied, “You passed, the machine did not detect any blind spots.”
Well, that was a relief. So on that day, I had no “blind spots” in my vision that a sophisticated machine could detect. The machine claims that I can see well, that I have no blind spots where I cannot see. But the machine cannot detect how well my mind, heart, and soul can see. For what if I’m blind to the social environment engulfing me with the hunger, pain, suffering, violence, oppression, and racial injustice that others see every day?
Did I have any other types of “blind spots” that no machine could ever detect? Is it possible that I could have blind spots in my heart and soul that weren’t allowing me to see what other people were seeing? Did I need a “spiritual field test” for my soul? How do I get one of those tests? As Jesus told the Pharisees, “…but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” A part of my brain registers the offenses, but my heart chooses to ignore the experiences as if I never witnessed them at all. In Jesus’s words, “my guilt remains.” By God’s judgment, I am guilty of seeing the wrongs and doing absolutely nothing to stop them.
In the Bible passage, Jesus was telling the Pharisees that He was alive, right in front of them, showing and telling everyone that He was the light of the world for all people to see and believe. He was teaching them everyday what the real law was in God’s eyes because He was God, but yet the Jews would not believe Him. The Pharisees and the Jews had a huge spiritual “blind spot” in their hearts, minds, and souls. They wanted only to use the Law of Moses as their crutch and spiritual foundation for their beliefs even though God the Son, Jesus Christ himself, was teaching them the new law for loving God and their neighbors.
John 3:15, 17-18,“…that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.” “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
And just like it is difficult in real life to see anything in the darkness, we search for light to illuminate the path ahead to see what’s there. God is the light we long for and need to show us the way in life’s journey. It is the light of God, Jesus Christ, who dispels the darkness of sin and evil in the world. John 3: 21, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
The light of God can remove the blind spots of darkness in our vision, our hearts, minds, and souls to be witnesses of God’s work in this world. God created each of us to be used by Him to carry out His purpose for each of us that affects the impact our lives have on other people’s lives. No man is an island existing in a sea of deserts.
God loves ALL people, because He created ALL people. We must remember to surrender our lives to being in service to Him. We must be willing to do His will, not our will. We are NOT in control; regardless of our race, creed, gender, position, status, or political identity. God is in control. Faith in God brings freedom; freedom brings peace.
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.”
Dear God,
I pray that you will remove all of my “blind spots” and let me truly see what you want me to do for you each day, and with your help, carry out your will. Amen.
Live, Learn and Grow in Jesus!!
Blessings,
Jerry
