What we think really makes a difference in the way we feel and act. Knowing this about ourselves and others can make a big difference in the way we feel and act towards others as well. I know, captain obvious right? The sobering reality is that we live life surrounded by ideas, beliefs, convictions, doctrines, religions, creeds, ideologies, and every other word we can think of that reflects information that comes into our lives, hearts, and minds. This results in us believing a lot of stuff! Some of that stuff is solid, godly, and divine, while others stand opposed to reason, logic, and divine truth.
It was a belief that the Israelites held in the first century that caused Jesus to refer to them as blind. Unfortunately, a brief walk-through modern beliefs and historical convictions will also reveal that the Israelites were not alone in their erroneous understanding. On one hand it was a belief that caused people to look down on others, condemn them, applaud their physical challenges, and treat others like outcasts. On the other hand, it was a belief that made unrighteous and ungodly men think of themselves as good, better than others, faithful, and obedient children of God. Perhaps some of you already know, but what is this belief that has permeated society and caused so much damage to this world? Simply put, that physical trails, poverty, hardships, and struggles are a result of you or your families’ sins.
The disciples of Christ asked this important question in John 9 which resulted in the deconstruction of this man-made teaching. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). Even their question was unloving, uncompassionate, misleading, and wrong! Like the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day, the follows of Jesus needed their perception to be challenged and transformed. As mentioned before, this teaching wasn’t something brand new, we see it on full display as the “friends” of Job saw his pain and suffering through this belief as well (Job 8:3-7). What follows is a beautiful display by the Master Teacher of revealing the truth about sin, trials, suffering, and pain.
In stark contrast to the commonly held belief, Jesus teaches that these trials, pain, suffering, agony, mourning, and in this case blindness have occurred so that God’s works could be displayed and that He would be glorified (John 9:3). That is, that through these hardships Gods power, mercy, compassion, and love can be made manifest for all to see. The thoughts that went through Jesus’ mind and should flow through ours when we see someone suffering or disabled is not “who sinned?”, but “how can this be used for God’s glory?” (2Corinthians 12:7-10). The purpose of suffering is that the works of God might be displayed in the one suffering. Is that what we see when we or someone else is dealing with the trials of life or has our vision been impaired by the ideas and teachings of men?
The challenge we all struggle with is the same one that the Pharisees and disciples wrestled with in the first century. WE THINK WE SEE (John 9:41). We have all adopted, accepted, and have believed teachings that are contrary to the will of God that have become established strongholds in our minds that need to dismantled, deconstructed, and destroyed. The good news is that the light has come into the world to shine into darkness and cause the blind to see (John 1:5, 9). Yes, we see that physical pain, suffering, and hardships are not always the result of personal sin, but what ideas have infiltrated our minds and are causing harm to ourselves and those around us? Let us acknowledge our proclivity to be blind in our pursuit to see.
A Christian 