Day 11, John 11

Guest Blogger: Daniel Hess

How’s your eyesight? This is an age where so much can be done about vision problems. For the majority of us a simple outside source such as contact lenses can correct the problem. In John 11 we encounter many different types of spiritual eyesight. We find many people looking into the situation of Lazarus dying. It’s obvious who saw the entire situation clearly. Jesus, with his 20/20 vision, says in verse 4, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus saw the situation clearly and acted throughout this whole chapter according to God’s plans.

Compare this with the disciples. We could characterize them as far-sighted. They were focused on what they thought Jesus’ mission was, to bring God’s kingdom to fulfillment in Israel. They could not see this mission transpiring if Jesus was killed prematurely. They respond accordingly in verse 8 trying to dissuade Jesus. They see a long-range goal but not the opportunity right in front of them.

Mary, in contrast appears near-sighted. She despairs that Jesus took so long in coming. She can only see the ugliness of the situation in front of her. Both Mary and the disciples only see clearly in hindsight.

Look at Martha. Martha astounds me. Her vision is a little fuzzy but she sees something. In verse 21 & 22 she admits she hoped Jesus would come earlier but she also hints a faith that Jesus can still work the situation to good. Jesus takes this little bit of vision she has and helps her see the rest of the picture. Her vision starts to clear.

Then there are the Pharisees at the end of the chapter. They are blind and looking at the wrong thing all together. They did not even see clearly in hindsight. They spend their time wondering how to stop Jesus rather than wondering about the miracle just witnessed. Jesus brought a dead man to life!

So where are we? Just like John 11, we are surrounded by tragic situations. There are spiritually dead friends around us. There are times in life we take deadly falls. None of us has Jesus’ vision, but what type of vision do we have? Do we have the disciple’s vision that overlooks the present opportunity for a future goal? Or how about Mary’s eyesight that can’t see far enough to find hope? Are we looking at the wrong thing altogether? Or can we claim something like Martha? We may not know the end but we can turn to Jesus’ perfect vision and ask for help. We can have faith in a God who can do amazing things like raise the dead and restore life to the world. Let’s allow him to correct our eyesight and help us see more clearly into the despairing situations in life.

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Day 9, John 9

Guest Blogger: Aaron Miner

What is blindness? At its core it is the inability to see. Though a person can be physically blind, other types of blindness exist as well. Love can be blind, or a person can be unwilling or unable to notice something that is obvious to others. Jesus in John chapter 9 warns us about spiritual blindness.

The chapter begins with Jesus and his disciples traveling along the way when they notice a blind man. This initiates a question from the disciples. The question is not: “Why is this man blind?” but rather, “Who sinned to make him blind?” The perception in Jesus’ day was that sin caused sickness and suffering such as blindness. Job’s friend, Eliphaz expressed similar views in Job 4:6-8, that the innocent never perish. These views express a spiritual blindness that God condemns in the response to Job and his friends: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2 NIV)

Jesus’ response in verse 3 is equally enlightening, “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” The common wisdom of Jesus’ day was blind to the realities of God’s purpose. The story of Jesus healing the blind man illustrates the light he shines into the blackness of a blind world. Jesus is the light (v. 5) and just as he healed the blind man from physical blindness Jesus opened his “eyes” from spiritual blindness (vs. 35-41). The Pharisees on the other hand show that they are spiritual blind to what God is doing around them (v. 34).

This poses an important question for us today. What are we spiritually blind to? We can be in periods of suffering or blessing and completely miss what God is doing around us. We can also be like Eliphaz and the Pharisees, so steeped in the “religious wisdom” of our time that we are blind to our own sin before God. This can be either legalism or relativism. But if we humble ourselves before the cross and ask God to search our hearts his light will come into our life and where we were blind we will see. On the other hand, if we do not humble ourselves before the cross of Christ we will become hardened and blind to our sin (vs. 39-41).

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