Daily Affirmations - Day 4 - A Teachable Spirit - The Blind Will See
- Alisa B.
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Day 4: The blind will see
"Tell me so that I may believe in Him" (John 9:36).
Lord Jesus, Living Word, You teach us that The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence, (Psalm 5:5), but Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). Time and again, You show us the impact of these two contrasting attitudes.
In many accounts, religious rulers were among the arrogant who could not stand in Your presence. The gospel writer John describes one such account where You restored sight to a man who had been blind from birth (John 9:1-41). The Pharisees found much to criticize in this miracle.
From their position of power, authority, and their own superior "righteousness," these religious elites lorded it over the socially and religiously "inferior" parents and their son (John 9:17-34), and dared to challenge the Lord of glory. Blinded by prestige and traditions, they could not credit the very evidence of the divine in their midst.
The man healed from blindness, on the other hand, understood and declared one simple, uncomplicated truth: "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (John 9:25). That was enough to get him kicked out of the synagogue (John 9:34). But the eyes of his heart were enlightened in the magnitude of the miracle (Ephesians 1:18), and he was ready to receive with humble gratitude the grace that was set before him:
When Jesus found him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is He, sir?” the man asked. “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.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him (John 9:35-38).
O Lord, touch our hearts today with this same humble faith. The evidence of Your grace is all around us. Help us not to disparage the divine in the arrogance of human intellect, like those perishing for whom the message of the cross is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Lord our God, help us not to rely on the tattered, filthy rags of human accomplishment, power, prestige, and position. May we not be blinded by the "wisdom", the "superiority", and the "security" of human synagogues, citadels and towers— they are full of false traditions, philosophies, beliefs, and expectations. Expose their deceptiveness, their fragility, their unreliability.
Give us salve to put on our eyes so we can see (Revelation 3:18). In the cacophony of pundits and experts, criers and newshounds, the messages are multitudinous and muddled.
We can navigate the treacherous maze either by accepting healing sight like the man blind from birth— for we too, are blind from birth— or by relying on our own sight like the Pharisees who claimed they could see (John 9:41). You made clear the results of this choice: "the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Give us a teachable spirit to accept Your simple message of love, hope, and grace; to recognize that the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).
