John 9:39-41 -- Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
We've arrived at the end of John chapter nine. Taking this very intentional and relational journey with the Lord in His Word continues to reveal depths I've never known before. This chapter has so much relevance to where many of our churches are today too.
The ex-blind man had just professed his belief in Jesus Christ and worshipped Him. To which Jesus responds by openly stating He had come for judgement and to make the blind see, and the seeing (wooden religious folks) blind.
Now He wasn't passing judgment right then and there, but instead He had become an immovable barrier of truth that brings a choice. A choice that causes confrontation, division, separation for all humanity. To believe, or not to believe in Jesus Christ: that is the question.
Guzzik and Tenney put it this way:
"men were divided over Jesus, with some accepting and some rejecting. This is one way Jesus brought judgment…into this world, by being a dividing line." - Guzzik
"In this sense, Jesus is like the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains; a single place where an entire path is decided. Jesus is the pivot on which human destiny turns." - Tenney
There are some Pharisees nearby who overhear Jesus. They ask a question and just in their asking of it they reveal the answer. "Are we also blind?". A blind person doesn't have to ask if they are blind, they're either blind to it or they already know it. Also, don't forget the pattern of the Pharisees was to use questions to beat people down, deflect truth, or trap people with religious laws and traditions.
Christian, Jesus' response is one we need to pay VERY close attention to. The world is blind but if you call yourself a Christian, then you MUST listen carefully to Jesus' reply to the wooden religious people.
"If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains."
Why is this so urgent and direly important for us Christians to hear?
If you profess to be a Christian… If you say you believe and follow Jesus… you are claiming to see. You are claiming to know the Truth, the Way, the Life. You are openly telling people "I SEE".
Christian, take this very seriously. Do you profess to SEE because you've met Jesus, believed in Him, obeyed Him, had your eyes opened by Him, stood up for openly for Him, seek to be with Him, abide in His Word and in Him? Were you once blind and now you KNOW that you KNOW Jesus Christ and now SEE?
OR…
Do you profess to SEE because it's what you're supposed to do, what you've always done, what your parents told you to do, what you think you're expected to do, what others do, you were raised in church? Listen, if you are real with yourself right now you know deep down if your profession to SEE is just words or not.
Now that we've had the confrontation and you've come out the other side still stating to SEE the truth, to believe and follow Jesus. Here are some questions.
Do you read the Bible, God's Living Word, regularly? (not 3 min devotionals only)
Do you pray and talk with Him regularly?
Do you have a relationship with the Lord?
Do you trust God?
Do you obey God's Word?
Do you abide in Jesus, which is remain in Him, be stitched to Him?
Do you try your best to walk as Jesus walked, as commanded in 1 John 2:6?
Do you make God an intentional priority in your day, or does He come last if at all?
Do you have a long list of reasons, excuses, or possibly angry thoughts towards all this right now?
I will close by saying this, I am not perfect, I don't see myself as perfect, I often struggle with being overly negative towards myself even. I have my ups and downs, good days, and bad days, struggles and battles, losses, and victories, and for all the days I wake up at 5am and joyfully pray, read the Word, walk with God, and then share it all publicly, there are days where it's a struggle. A struggle that ends with me doing it out of obedience rather than joy. Now those days are fewer and fewer the more I get to know Him, walk with Him, and love Him, but they're there.
I say that because me asking these confrontational questions isn't about passing judgment or because I'm some holy rolling big shot who has something figured out. NO WAY, NOT AT ALL. It's because I love you my brothers and sisters and I know I had to wake up and find out all the years of my professing Christianity and going through the motions of showing up at church, doing good deeds, were years I spent saying, "I SEE", yet I was utterly blind to the truth of relationship with Jesus.
Well, this is where the journey went and it was longer than anticipated, but I follow where He leads. Make sure to talk with the Lord, get in the Word, and reach out to a Christian brother or sister you know is in the Word to discuss.
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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