Blind Sighted Love

In John 9:39-41 Jesus speaks about coming into the world for judgment to make the blind see and those who see blind.  Sounds strange doesn’t it?

During this season we are asked to look inside ourselves, to rid ourselves of sin and to forgive others – and ourselves as well. This is the sound judgment Jesus came into the world to accomplish.  Indeed his word still comes to us,  to open the eyes of those who do not know his commands, so they may learn about and respect them.  And in this learning we see the error of our own ways – like so many writers of the hymns and worship songs we sing.  Seeing God through Jesus’ eyes causes us to see Him and others in a new way.  I’ve talked with people who have seen God as a mean, angry and vengeful God.  I myself went through a period of time when I saw God that way, but coming into a more mature relationship with Jesus helped me re-learn about God’s love for me and others.  During the time that I viewed God as angry and mean all I could see in myself was my sin, including all my past (already forgiven) sin and it seemed that was all other people could see as well.  I even began to believe untruths that people were speaking to me about myself.  It was a very dark and dreadful time of life.  Someone, moved by God’s love for me spoke with me and encouraged me to seek God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus.

When a person is blind they cannot see, but they can hear.  Who and what we are blind to matters.  When a person is blind, their other senses, especially hearing, are enhanced.  When we are blind, what we hear and who we hear it from is important, as important as what we see and who is showing it to us – especially when it comes to matters of sin and life.  God desires people to listen to Jesus because he loves us and wants us to have and enjoy eternal life.  Love doesn’t condone wrong thinking and behavior nor does love avoid correcting wrong thinking and behaving; Love helps people to correct wrong thinking and helps us to behave in more good and godly ways.

When Jesus speaks to us about sin, love and life we know he speaks the truth. When the devil, or the spiritual forces of evil speak to us of sin, love and life they deceive us to thinking their lies are truth.  When Jesus looks at us, we know he sees the truth in our lives, the good truths and the bad truths.  He shows us and tells us truthfully about the error of the bad or sinful things we are doing in thought and deed. He calls us to repentance and forgives those who truly repent. He is blind to our forgiven sins even when the rest of the world isn’t.

Jesus also ask us to look into and judge our own thoughts and actions while we are looking at others and judging theirs.  What do you see?  Who do you see?  Jesus stands between people who are ready to throw stones and words of condemnation at others. Jesus desires each person to drop the veil of pretense and blame and shame – to heal the wounds from the stones and words that have been cast at us by forgiving and to seek forgiveness for the stones and words we’ve cast at others.

When we are blinded by God’s love and not by sin we are set free and having been set free, we are able to live and love, walk and work in dignity and peace rather than indignantly and at odds with ourselves and others. Each day we must seek to be blinded by God’s love in order to bring his love to fruition in our own lives and the lives of others.

Lord Jesus, you have shown us our sin and as the psalmist says our sin is ever before us, yet you ask us to receive your forgiveness.  Help us to become blind to the past sins you have forgiven.   Thank you for giving us blinders to see through your eyes the way we should live today. Help us to look upon others with compassion as you do and may your light shine through our lives upon them.  Keep us steady on the path you have prepared for us to walk and give each of us strength, courage and grace to walk on it with dignity and a pure conscience.  Not for our sake Lord, but for yours and the building up of your people and your heavenly kingdom.  AMEN

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