I Was Blind, But Now I See, Part 1

As we move into the ninth chapter of John's Gospel, we encounter a dramatic scene. The Lord passes by a man born blind and heals him in a dramatic way. But in many ways, this healing miracle is not the center of the story. Rather, the questions posed and the answers offered reveal many spiritual truths. This is observed right at the beginning when the disciples ask a provocative question: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" This question appears to be a perfectly rational one especially when we consider that this was a very common assumption of the time. Yet, in asking it, they reveal how this apparently spiritual inquiry was nothing more than a humanistic presupposition masquerading as a deep spiritual insight. The Lord's answer immediately undermines it all. The fact of the matter was that in spiritual matters the disciples were not much better off than the blind man. And just like the blind man they needed the Lord to perform a work of mercy upon them. They needed to have their spiritual eyes opened. – Pastor Schlegel