MDB 55: John 9

John 9:39: For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind.

Why is it that some people are handicapped from birth? In ancient times, and even now in some parts of the world, it is often assumed that physical defects are the result of sin. That was what the Pharisees thought was the case of the man born blind, but they wondered who it was that had sinned. It could hardly have been the victim himself, since he was born that way, but if it was his parents, why should the son have to suffer the consequences?

Jesus was used to dealing with trick questions and in answering them he said that the real reason was quite different. The man was born blind so that the works of God might be seen in him. It is certainly true that many handicapped people lead exceptionally productive lives, and some are shining testimonies to the grace and mercy of God. Being deprived of something the rest of us take for granted helps them concentrate on what they can achieve, and the results can be astonishing.

But Jesus did not have that in mind here. This blind man had another destiny. Unlike others, he was to be given his sight. He had been born with his disability as a sign that we are all spiritually blind from birth. Only Jesus can make us see properly, and only when we receive it from him do we fully understand what that means. The Pharisees who asked him questions thought they could see perfectly well, but in spiritual terms, they were just as blind as the man they were talking about. Neither of them knew their Saviour, but when the man was healed and started asking questions of his own, Jesus revealed himself to him and he believed. The Pharisees, on the other hand, remained in the dark because they could not understand Jesus. This is the challenge to us - are we blind people who can now see, or are we like the Pharisees, thinking we can see but actually as blind as they were?