Excommunicated!

Good morning!

John 9 is again today's text. 

What does it mean to be "blind"?

As a youth, my eyesight grew progressively worse, until by age 13 I wore what are commonly called "Coke-bottle" glasses.  I can still remember the day as a teen I got my first contact lenses.  What liberation!  Then, some 30 years later, I was fortunate enough to have Lasik surgery on my eyes.  What a transformation!  Immediately afterward, I looked across the room and read the clock.  It was the closest thing to a miracle healing I've ever experienced.  "Once I was blind, but now I can see."

I have also been spiritually blind.  It was not until age 9 that I realized my state of spiritual blindness and made the decision to turn to Jesus and have my eyes opened.  Along the walk, there continue to be times that the Holy Spirit enlightens me, through speaking to me in my spirit and through the Holy Scriptures, as well as through the godly wisdom of others. "Once I was blind, but now I can see."

The man healed in John 9 found himself in the middle of a religious controversy, simply due to having a life-changing encounter with Jesus.  (Once again, Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath day, which ran afoul of the religious rules of the day.  I've mentioned this in previous blog posts.  The religious leaders were taking the command of God to "keep the Sabbath holy" and not do any "work" on that day to a ridiculous extreme...)

At any rate, this man was interrogated by the Pharisees seeking to apprehend Jesus.  The man's response?

"One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see!" (vs. 25)

When they didn't get anywhere with the healed man, they went to his parents.  His parents were afraid of being excommunicated and therefore refused to say anything except for "ask him; he is of age..." (vs. 21).

When asked again who Jesus was, the man replied, "He is a prophet" (vs. 17).  Verses 30-34 are some of the most interesting of the chapter.  The Pharisees and the man are debating about who Jesus is, whether He is of God or of the Devil.  The healed man did not yet fully comprehend who Jesus was, but he still had more spiritual discernment than the "learned" religious leaders of that day:

³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³ If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

³⁴ They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

In verse 34, the leaders referenced that prevalent belief that anyone born with a defect was "completely born in sins".....as if they were not.  (We are ALL completely born in sins, after all.)  Such arrogance and sinful pride!

And, they excommunicated him.

In verses 35-39 it is revealed that Jesus sought the man out, having heard he had been excommunicated.  This was such a serious thing, back then.  It did not only mean that he was barred from worshiping at the temple.  It also meant that he was completely ostracized from Jewish society.
Jesus asked him if he believed in the Son of Man (the Messiah)?
The man, still not "seeing" that Jesus IS that one and only Messiah replied,

"Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?"

Jesus plainly stated that He is the long-awaited Messiah.
At that point, the spiritual blinders fell fully from the man's eyes and he worshiped Jesus.

I believe Jesus healed this man because He had compassion on him, because doing so was in accordance with God's divine plan and because this man's healing was an illustration of spiritual blindness.  This man was healed twice - - - once physically and once spiritually.

Jesus goes on to emphasize that not everyone who thinks they can "see" actually can. He came into the world to enable those who are spiritually blind to see.  He also emphasized that His coming as Messiah would be a stumbling block to many who believe that they can "see", but are actually stumbling around in the deepest of spiritual darkness.

The amazing thing about the resplendent walk is that the more we desire of Jesus and of the truths in His Word, we more we can receive.  His presence, His wisdom are limitless, far beyond our capacity to ascertain.  Never should we feel that we have "learned it all".   Paul expressed this in Philippians 3:13 - - -

"I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it."

Paul didn't "know it all" or understand everything.  I believe that Paul was becoming more and more like Jesus with every passing day, right up until the day he was martyred.

We can choose as believers to walk in that way.  Or, we can choose something of lesser value.

One thing is sure:  if we choose Christ, we will be in stark opposition to the belief systems of this present world, and may even experience "excommunication" on some level.  We were talking at breakfast this morning about my niece's experiences, filling out medical school applications.  She reported that the first question on the application is: "What type of diversity can you bring to our student body?"  I told her that she should report that she is a conservative Christian, which is fast becoming a persecuted minority.

It will continue to be so.  Jesus warned His disciples in John 15:18 - - -

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first."

Not a pleasant or comforting thought, is it?  But, we also have the assurance that "in His presence is fulness of joy, at His right hand are pleasures evermore!" (Ps. 16:11). 

Lord Jesus, please help my spiritual blindness and sweep aside my spiritual apathy, even arrogance at times.  I want to see more of You, possess more of You, until that day You call me Home.  In Jesus' name, amen.