Clearer Vision

Have you ever ordered something online thinking that it looked one way, only to open the package and be disappointed by what it actually looked like in person? That can be a challenge when we buy online. And if the product isn't what we expected, what do we do? We return it.

This Sunday, we'll hear about a man who was born blind and received His sight when Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva (which must have been a pretty good amount), and then put it on the man's eyes and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. He did and came back seeing. Imagine what that must have been like to actually see personally what one previously could only touch and imagine as one walked in darkness. I'm sure there was great joy in experiencing life in a whole way. There was probably a lot of, "Oh... that's what that is like."

But not everyone celebrated with him. Many of the Pharisees could not see God at work because this happened on the Sabbath, and they could only see the letter of the law, not God's intent. In their minds, there was to be no work on the Sabbath, even if it was healing a man born blind. Maybe they thought the man should return to being blind, at least until the next day. And as for Jesus? He should be returned because He was definitely not like the Messiah they expected.

But the man whose physical sight was restored was given even clearer vision by the Holy Spirit. He was able to see Jesus as He was: The Son of Man, the Savior of the world. And he believed.

What do you see when you picture Jesus as you read the Scriptures? Is it based on what you think He should look like or as He is actually revealed? As the Holy Spirit clears our spiritual vision, we can say with John Newton: "Amazing grace—how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me!  I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see!"