A Bold Testimony
Scripture Reading — John 9:13-34
"One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John 9:25
The Pharisees were furious when they heard that Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, which meant he had broken the law. They tried in vain to get the man and his parents to identify Jesus as the healer.
The Pharisees tried to assure the man that his healer was a sinner. The man replied, "I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" That drove the Pharisees into a rage. But the man said boldly, in effect, "Isn't it strange that you can't explain who my healer is? If he isn't from God, how could he perform such a miracle?" Hearing that, the Pharisees threw him out, meaning he was cut off from the local society.
No amount of evidence could make these spiritually blind leaders believe. Nowhere in the Old Testament Scriptures was a person ever healed of physical blindness. Yet Isaiah's prophecy predicted that in the Messiah's day "the eyes of the blind will see" (Isaiah 29:18). Jesus opened a man's eyes, but blind hearts couldn't read "Messiah" in what Jesus did.
Don't expect nicer treatment from spiritually blind people today. Every witness to Jesus will encounter cynicism, rebuff, and persecution, because spiritual blindness is as perverse as it is strong. Mentioning Jesus Christ is never "politically correct," because the politics of this world go against God's way.
Dear God, help us to be clear and steadfast in our witness to Christ. The world can't see him and doesn't want to hear about him, but we serve him alone. In his name, Amen.
About the author — Roger S. Greenway
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