And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshipped Him.
John 9: 38
The other day, Hiram was backing my Toyota out of the garage and commented, “Your car has a couple bad blind spots.”
I nodded in agreement. My little car is easy to drive, but it has some nasty blind stops. Only by remaining constantly aware of them can I keep from being a menace on the road.
As it turns out, even thought I’m not a mechanical kind of gal, the car and I have blind spots in common. And here’s the disturbing thing. While I’m well-aware of the car’s blind spots, God keeps revealing more of mine with every passing year.
Maybe that’s why I like reading John’s account of how Jesus healed a young man who was blind from birth. Turns out, I’m in good company. Every person in the story, save one, is riddled with with blind spots.
The disciples reveal theirs when they see the blind man and ask Jesus who sinned, the man or his parents. The neighbors blind themselves to the young man’s healing, arguing that this seeing fellow only looks like the sightless guy. The Pharisees are blind to the truth, refusing to believe Jesus is divine because he doesn’t fit their preconceived notions of how the Son of God should act. The man’s parents are blinded by fear of being thrown out of the temple.
The only person without a blind spot is Jesus. He goes from one unseeing wretch to the next, shining his word of truth into the center of their darkness.
“No,” Jesus tells the disciples, “this man’s blindness wasn’t punishment for sin. It was allowed so God could use it to display his good work.”
“Yes,” Jesus tells the blind man, “I can use what you consider disgusting – mud and spit – to make you see.”
“You,” he tells the man whose sight was restored, “have seen the Son of Man,” “and he is talking to you.”
“You,’ he tells the Pharisees, “refuse to admit you have blind spots, so your sin remains.”
“Your sin,” Jesus whispers when he shines his light on my blind spots, “doesn’t have to keep you from relationship with me. I can use your imperfections and the messes in your life to display my glory. Just admit your sin, turn away from it, and follow me.”
Blinking in the light of his Word, I respond again and again, year by year, fear by fear, doubt by doubt, weakness by weakness, as the once blind man did long ago.
“Lord, I believe.” Then I bow before the Word made flesh, and worship the Light.
