Life Spark: If you really see God, you’ll see Him helping and healing people. (John 9:16-23)
Have you ever seen a no-see-um? No-see-ums are pesky little sand gnats that you can barely see. When I read the New Testament and see what it says about the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the Pharisees and Sadducees, I think of them as Phari-no-sees and Sad-you-no-sees. The One sent from God was right in front of them, but they no-see-Him.
“Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Obviously, this man [Jesus] can’t be from God. He doesn’t keep the Sabbath.’” (John 9:16a, MSG) Jesus wouldn’t stay in their six-day-box because God never takes a day off from helping people. “Others countered, ‘How can a bad man do miraculous, God-revealing things like this?’ There was a split in their ranks.” (John 9:16b, MSG) A ‘split in their ranks.’ A di-vision between vision and no-vision. Deity or devil? What was an eclipse for some was broad daylight for others.
Some were beginning to see Jesus as doing “God-revealing things.” In other words, they saw Him doing things that revealed a life-giving, people-helping God. They saw God-in-Jesus working overtime to make people physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually, presently and eternally more alive.
Loaded for bear, the religious leaders ask the post-blind man who he thought Jesus was. “’He is a prophet.’” (John 9:17b, NIV) Some people may see Jesus as a prophet, a ‘Higher Power,’ or a loving man before they see Him as God’s Son.
The seeing man isn’t sure who Jesus is, but He is sure that God is good and what Jesus did for him, vastly increased his quality of life, is a good thing. I guess it’s ok to be partly right about Jesus if you’re open to finding out more.
Flustered, the religionists try to pull the puppet strings of the seeing man’s parents, and they succeed. Instead of defending their son or his healer, the parents throw their boy under the bus and chirp out a cowardly “ask him.” It makes me want to check my own back for a yellow streak. Fear of man can blind one to God-revealing things that are happening right in front of your face.
Life-challenge: Ask God to help you do at least one life-giving, people-helping, God-revealing thing today.