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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“I told you already, and you did not listen.” I don’t know about you, but a wall goes up when I hear these words, that is unless I actively prevent it. I hate to be told that I have chosen to ignore a bit of critical information, or that my lack of understanding is due to my own ineptness. Yet, we all do it. If anything, I told you so’s ought to be wakeup calls rather than go to sleep calls. Yet, that is how we that are self-deluded choose to treat them!
“So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.’ He answered and said, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’ Then they said to him again, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?’ Then they reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.’ The man answered and said to them, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’ They answered and said to him, ‘You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?’ And they cast him out.” (John 9.24-34).
The implications of the story had not changed. If the blind man could see, Jesus was Messiah. If the blind man could see, the Pharisees were wrong. The Pharisees TOTALLY understood the implications of the matter. This is why they were relentless in trying to find some weakness in the story. Otherwise, their fate was sealed! It was either discredit the blind man or be discredited. This was the true life corner into which they had painted themselves. There was literally no way out but to admit their blindness and to acknowledge the truthfulness of the Man called Jesus.
Given that choice, what would I do? I know what I would like to think I would do, but it is not consistent with what I have always done. I would like to think that I would see truth as a primary objective in all cases regardless of the pricetag such an admission might carry with it. The reaction that the Pharisees exhibited is all too familiar with how I have reacted at times. Rather than address the facts of the matter and the merits of the case, the Pharisees elected to attack the man who bore the news. They shot the messenger rather than heed his message. In common parlance this is know as an ad hominem argument (i.e. argument against the man rather than to the issue). “Since everybody knows that sister so-and-so is a gossip, I must ask you not to pay any attention to what she says about me.” That is the reasoning behind the Pharisee’s logic except theirs is weaker! “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” The arrogance is almost literally dripping off their statement! So, given the corner into which they had painted themselves, what else could they do? They did what any self-respecting Pharisee would do, “They cast him out!”
Whether we have been told previously or not, there are real issues that must be resolved when reality runs headlong into our professed beliefs. While error and the doctrines of demons need to be thrown out the window, commonsense and sensibility shouldn’t be thrown out with them. God is the author of commonsense and sensibility; any doctrine with truly confronts these is at best suspect, and at worst, simply not the truth!
Questions:
1. Again we ask, what tangible evidence did the Pharisees have that would indicate that the blind man was not telling the truth about how he was made whole?
2. Even if the blind man had been completely born in sins, would it not have been possible for him to tell the truth in this matter?
3. Why did they cast the blind man out?
4. Is it really sensible to think that one can know the truth about all matters that relate to what pleases God and what displeases Him? (If your answer is yes, I have a couple of serious questions to ask you.)
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