The man born blind really catches it today. He is questioned twice by the religious leaders about how it is that he can see. His parents are questioned. Everyone is out to get him, it seems. He stands by what he knows to be true. He once was blind, but now he can see. Jesus healed him. After he is driven from the synagogue, Jesus finds him. Jesus loves this man. He cares for him. Jesus sees him, and Jesus loves him. Jesus sees us today for who we are, all our inadequacies and weaknesses, and Jesus still loves us. Jesus sees you today. And He loves you.

Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

If you’d like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can read today’s passage here.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

Good morning! I hope you’re having a wonderful Monday. I wanted to share a quick update about the schedule for the next few weeks. This week, everything will be business as usual, but starting next Monday, I’ll be away for a bit. I’ll be preaching at a camp meeting revival at Salem Camp, just south of Loosdale, Mississippi. If you’re in the Loosdale or Gulf Coast area, I’d love for you to join us. I’ll be preaching Monday evening and twice a day through Sunday, the 13th. After that, we’ll get back to our regular schedule. I do have some doctoral work coming up in a few weeks, which might affect things, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Today, we’re wrapping up the story in John chapter 9, focusing on verses 13 through 41. On Friday, we read about Jesus healing a man who was born blind. Let’s dive into what happens next.

“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been born blind. Now it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. The Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes, then I washed, and now I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided.”

This passage shows a recurring tension in John’s Gospel between Jesus and the religious leaders. It wasn’t really a battle Jesus sought, but rather a conflict initiated by those trying to hold onto their power.

The Pharisees questioned the man who was healed, even bringing in his parents to verify that he had been born blind. The parents, fearful of being cast out of the synagogue, dodged the questions and said, “He is of age; ask him.” The man, unafraid, boldly stood his ground, declaring, “One thing I do know: though I was blind, now I see.”

The healed man’s courage is striking. Despite being under immense pressure, he didn’t back down. He told the religious leaders, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.” His faith and clarity were in direct contrast to the Pharisees, who were blinded by their desire to maintain control.

Jesus later found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” When the man asked who the Son of Man was, Jesus revealed Himself, and the man responded, “Lord, I believe.” The man’s journey from physical blindness to spiritual sight is a powerful reminder of how Jesus reveals truth.

The Pharisees, however, remained blind in their arrogance. They asked Jesus, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” To which Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

This passage is a mirror held up to all of us. Jesus sees us for who we are—our strengths, weaknesses, fears, and doubts. He sees past the facade we often present to the world and loves us deeply, even in our imperfections. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, “Now we see through a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face.”

God knows us fully, even when we don’t fully understand ourselves. He knows our thoughts, our fears, and our struggles. And despite all of this, He loves us. That’s the beauty of God’s grace.

Jesus helped this man see physically, but more importantly, He opened his eyes spiritually. The religious leaders, in contrast, refused to see their own need for healing. The first step toward spiritual sight is admitting that we cannot see on our own. The first step toward growth is acknowledging that we need to grow.

Just like the hymn says, “I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see.” May we all come to recognize our own blindness, so that we can truly see the depth of God’s love for us.

Thanks for joining today. Tomorrow, we’ll jump into John chapter 10, which contains one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I’m excited to unpack it with you. Have a great day! See you tomorrow!