Some of the Pharisees said, 'This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.' But others asked, 'How can a sinner do such miraculous signs.' So they were divided. (John 9:16)
I can just as easily suffer a similar spiritual blindness to that of the Pharisees. They saw what Jesus did, but they did not perceive. The witnessed his miracles but were blind to his true identity. The Pharisees had their neatly ordered and well constructed System. The System enabled them to honor God in a controlled and controlling way. It was tidy - not messy - and it allowed for few surprises.
We all have our Systems. I have my way of keeping God under control. The System is built brick by brick by our past experiences and the biases we have inherited from friends and family. My System has a Presbyterian veneer and a Methodist heart. My experience and understanding of God has been filtered through this System. But Systems can blind us to the new things God wants to do in our lives - in my life.
The blind man had his world transformed by an encounter with Jesus. It completely destroyed the equilibrium of his life. He had similar questions to the Pharisees about the identity of Jesus. 'Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know.' (v. 25a) What he did know is that Jesus had opened his eyes to a new world and reality. 'One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.'
Lord, where my neatly ordered world needs to be upset, interrupt me with your grace and power.
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