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.
-From John 9:1-41
For various reasons, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the book of John lately. This story has jumped out. I think part of the reason is because the first and most obvious thing about this story is something that, in my density and taking things for granted, is the thing I missed in this story. It’s a profound truth, so I’ll try to point it out, just in case, like me, you’ve missed it.
The story of John 9, on the basis of the data, appears simple. A man born blind is healed by Jesus. The neighbors and Pharisees question this because of their preconceived idea that physical maladies like blindness are punishments from God doled out on people for their sins. When those assumptions are challenged by the blind man who now sees, the Pharisees come unglued. After this, Jesus seeks out this same man he has already healed and further reveals himself to the man, who immediately worships him. The juxtaposition is telling, and Jesus, through John’s retelling of the story, makes it explicit in verses 39-41 above. It is one of the standard reversals in world literature: the blind man who truly perceives and those with physical sight being unable to perceive simple truths. Even inside the Bible, it is not an uncommon motif, with perhaps one of the most obvious locations in the book of Isaiah where the people of Israel are seemingly mocked by their inability to understand what they should see clearly. Jesus himself later quotes this prophecy in his interpretation of the Parable of the Sower (Soils).
So what was it that I missed in this story?
In the middle part of this story, John implicitly tells us that the Pharisees are blind by having them ask questions of a blind man, who clearly knows more than they do. The Pharisees bring forward a series of witnesses, including the blind man’s own parents, who aren’t willing to testify beyond the fact that he was born blind. In essence, his parents say, “he’s a big boy and can speak for himself.” When it becomes clear that the blind man isn’t going to become a scapegoat for their impotent rage, they insult him instead when he prods them with his question about if they also want to become his disciples. The religious leaders and the self-righteous neighbors are so sure of themselves and yet, at the same time, they have to ask a blind man what he saw. While it may not be the dictionary definition of irony, it’s certainly in the ballpark.
Once the blind man actually encounters Jesus, he is more than willing to accept Jesus for what he is. His healing has caused him to be able to not only physically see, but spiritually perceive. The story seems to suggest two kinds of people. The first is people who know Jesus and accept him for what He is: God himself. These people are humble because they understand the depth of their own need for His healing power, and Who they are dealing with. The second group is comprised of people who are too good for Jesus, and who need nothing from Him. They are self-sufficient, and they have their neat religious system to bound their understandings and guide their lives. They are rigid, uncaring, unloving and utterly unaware of what happens around them because they cannot comprehend a world which does not fit their preconceived system. In other words, their preconceptions blind them to everything else. The basis for their amazing (and foolish) self assurance? Their absolute confidence that they are without sin.
I wonder how many Christians have more in common with the Pharisees in this story than the blind man? Too many, I’d wager. Christians in many parts of the world have a reputation for being judgmental, hypocritical and self-righteous–people who would throw Jesus himself out of their weekly worship service if he didn’t dress the part or already know the order of service. This story should be a powerful reminder to those in churches that Jesus is much more interested in those who are needy and know it than those who are needy and are too self-righteous to care. Remember, in this story Jesus sought out the blind man, not the other way around. It would seem that Jesus pursues those who are aware of the depth of their own need and the breadth of their own sins, and in seeing ourselves as we truly are, we are blessed. In case of life, take off the rose-colored glasses of self-sufficiency and see yourself as you really are: a sinner desperately in need of a healing touch from the Master’s hand.