Seeing the Unseen: Confronting Spiritual Blindness (06/26/'24) -Passage

Seeing the Unseen: Confronting Spiritual Blindness John 9:39-41 deeply explores the spiritual paradoxes Jesus often taught, particularly around the themes of true sight and blindness. This scripture challenges the conventional understanding of what it means to "see" and be "blind." In this context, Jesus is addressing a spiritual blindness more debilitating than physical blindness—the blindness of those who believe they understand spiritual truths but in fact do not. Jesus's declaration that He came so that "those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind" reveals a radical inversion of perceived spiritual states. It suggests that true spiritual sight involves recognizing one's own blindness, limitations, and the need for divine illumination. Conversely, those who believe they are spiritually sighted and need no guidance are the ones who remain truly blind because their pride and self-sufficiency blind them to their need for God. In your reflection on modern people living confidently while being unaware of their sick conscience, this scripture is particularly poignant. Today, many assert their perspectives with confidence, often failing to recognize their own biases, limitations, and spiritual needs. This kind of blindness—a failure to perceive one's own spiritual poverty—can be seen as the greatest impediment to receiving the truth and transformation that Jesus offers. The inquiry by the Pharisees, "Are we blind also?" followed by Jesus's response, emphasizes this: acknowledging one's blindness is the first step towards healing and understanding, while claiming to see ensures that one remains in sin and ignorance. This insight aligns with the notion that a paralyzed conscience, one that does not perceive right from wrong or is indifferent to spiritual truth, results in a soul's sickness—remaining confident in one's sight while being fundamentally blind to essential truths. Pastor Steven G. Lee (June 26, 2024)