John 9:35-41
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. [1]
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Jesus tells the Pharisees both that they are blind and that they are not blind. Which is it? They are blind in the sense that they do not see who Jesus is or the significance of what He has come to do. But because they are blind to their blindness – that is, they are in denial about their blindness – He also says that they are guilty because they are not blind.
One of the main characteristics of spiritual blindness is that the spiritually blind are blind to their blindness. This can affect us as well regarding spiritual matters. Our fallen nature can render us blind to our own fallen nature. We are often blind to our own sins, to our guilt for our sins, and for our utter dependence on Jesus for all things. And the real problem is not just these types of blindnesses, but that we are often blind to the fact that we are blind in these ways.
The answer, of course, is for Jesus to open our eyes. And so that is my prayer today.
Jesus, open my eyes to my blindness. Help me see where I am falling short of your glory, that I might repent and trust in You. Open my eyes also to Your grace, that I might live each day in Your mercy.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 9:35–41). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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