John 9 -- An Ocean Of Grace For A Blind Man

Seeing a man who’d been blind from birth, the disciples began to discuss a common belief at the time – that such a disability had to be a punishment handed out by God for someone’s sin – wither the man’s or his parents’.  They asked Jesus for His opinion.  He answered, “This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.”  In other words, “God had allowed this man to be born blind in order that the man might become a means of displaying the mighty works of God.  Before the man was BORN, the Lord Jesus knew He would give sight to those blind eyes,” my commentary said.  I can just imagine Jesus’ familiarity with the man as He walked up to Him, remembering before the creation of the world how He and God had decided that this moment would occur!

Naturally, everyone had to involved the Pharisees as religious leaders, since such a great miracle of healing had occurred.  Unfortunately, they displayed greater blindness.  After all, Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, “breaking” one of their manmade rules.

Jesus, talking to the man after the Pharisees had grilled him, said, “I came so that the blind would see and so that those who see will become blind.”  Hearing that, some Pharisees sarcastically asked Him, Are You saying we are blind, too?”  Jesus said, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty of sin.  But since you keep saying you see, your guilt remains.”  My commentary said, “If they had only acknowledged their blindness  in failing to recognize Him as Messiah, their sin would have been as nothing compared to the enormous sin of professing to see, yet failing to recognize Him as the Son of God.”

Jesus was telling them that by admitting that they were blind and sinful and that they needed a Savior, their sins could be forgiven and they could be saved.  But if we claim that we don’t need anyone or anything, we are actually claiming that we are righteous and that we have no sin, so therefore no forgiveness for sins will be available, either.  How hard is it to simply say, “God, I am a sinner, and I need a Savior?”

Father, we all seem to have such pride that we don’t want to admit error.  That pride gets in the way of eternity with You.  I thank You for bringing me to the point where I could admit that, for when I did, You opened heaven’s vault full of grace and poured it out over me – an ocean of grace for a sinner like me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford