No matter how much the Pharisees denied Jesus, this man did not waver. He was blind from birth, but he could see again because he had a direct experience. He said, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
This man used to be blind, but he went to Siloam as Jesus instructed, and after he washed his eyes, he could perceive spiritual reality with greater clarity. When he first responded to Jesus’ words, he did not know anything about Jesus. However, after his eyes were opened, he was convinced that Jesus was sent by God. Similarly, while he was repeatedly interrogated by the Pharisees, he managed to bravely testify that Jesus was a godly person who did God’s will. The Pharisees were angry with his behavior and excommunicated him - this was the same as a social and religious death sentence.
Jesus looked for him. This was so Jesus could reveal Himself to him. “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The Son of Man will not only become the Savior, but also become the Judge of those who denies salvation. The man replied to this question, “Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” He bowed and exclaimed, “Lord, I believe!” He originally could not see anything in front of him, but now his physical eyes were open, and his spiritual eyes were also open to clearly see the God of salvation.
This is true. Although you must open your spiritual eyes to see God, it is only permitted to those who recognize they are sinners. The Lord hides Himself from people who think they have no spiritual faults, and shows Himself to those who acknowledge their miserable spiritual reality. Moreover, even those whose spiritual eyes are open can forget the reality they are in and fall into darkness. Therefore, we should not feel at ease and say, “Since I already believe, I have nothing more to worry about.” The Lord called us to be one with Him. He can only create this desirable relationship when we are earnest in spirit, and this earnestness appears when we confront our spiritual reality.
We must meet with the Lord because there will be judgment for people who do not meet Him. The Lord said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” People who do not acknowledge that they need to be saved cannot unite with the God of salvation. They have no choice but to face judgment. Accordingly, let’s seek the Lord with an earnest spirit until the day He returns. Let’s get rid of the proud delusion that we see everything and accept the Lord’s guidance with a humble heart. Let’s not reject His appeal, but respond to His words. The Lord will show Himself to this kind of people.
(Lord’s Day Service on September 25, 2022)
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