November 5: Are You Blinded by Religion?

Suggested reading: John 8:12-10:21

John 9

Amplified Bible (AMP)

9 As He passed along, He noticed a man blind from his birth.

2 His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?

3 Jesus answered, It was not that this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him.

4 We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the world’s Light.

6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground and made clay (mud) with His saliva, and He spread it [as ointment] on the man’s eyes.

7 And He said to him, Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam—which means Sent. So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

8 When the neighbors and those who used to know him by sight as a beggar saw him, they said, Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?

9 Some said, It is he. Others said, No, but he looks very much like him. But he said, Yes, I am the man.

10 So they said to him, How were your eyes opened?

11 He replied, The Man called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and I obtained my sight!

12 They asked him, Where is He? He said, I do not know.

13 Then they conducted to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

14 Now it was on the Sabbath day that Jesus mixed the mud and opened the man’s eyes.

15 So now again the Pharisees asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.

16 Then some of the Pharisees said, This Man [Jesus] is not from God, because He does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner (a bad man) do such signs and miracles? So there was a difference of opinion among them.

17 Accordingly they said to the blind man again, What do you say about Him, seeing that He opened your eyes? And he said, He is [He must be] a prophet!

18 However, the Jews did not believe that he had [really] been blind and that he had received his sight until they called (summoned) the parents of the man.

19 They asked them, Is this your son, whom you reported as having been born blind? How then does he see now?

20 His parents answered, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

21 But as to how he can now see, we do not know; or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age. Ask him; let him speak for himself and give his own account of it.

22 His parents said this because they feared [the leaders of] the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ, he should be expelled and excluded from the synagogue.

23 On that account his parents said, He is of age; ask him.

24 So the second time they summoned the man who had been born blind, and said to him, Now give God the glory (praise). This Fellow we know is only a sinner (a wicked person).

25 Then he answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see.

26 So they said to him, What did He [actually] do to you? How did He open your eyes?

27 He answered, I already told you and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Can it be that you wish to become His disciples also?

28 And they stormed at him [they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him] and retorted, You are His disciple yourself, but we are the disciples of Moses.

29 We know for certain that God spoke with Moses, but as for this Fellow, we know nothing about where He hails from.

30 The man replied, Well, this is astonishing! Here a Man has opened my eyes, and yet you do not know where He comes from. [That is amazing!]

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.

32 Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

33 If this Man were not from God, He would not be able to do anything like this.

34 They retorted, You were wholly born in sin [from head to foot]; and do you [presume to] teach us? So they cast him out [threw him clear outside the synagogue].

35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him He said, Do you believe in and adhere to the Son of Man or the Son of God?

36 He answered, Who is He, Sir? Tell me, that I may believe in and adhere to Him.

37 Jesus said to him, You have seen Him; [in fact] He is talking to you right now.

38 He called out, Lord, I believe! [I rely on, I trust, I cleave to You!] And he worshiped Him.

39 Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.

40 Some Pharisees who were near, hearing this remark, said to Him, Are we also blind?

41 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but because you now claim to have sight, your sin remains. [If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but because you insist, We do see clearly, you are unable to escape your guilt.]

This beautiful, amazing account is for someone out there today who's blind. Blind to who Jesus really is. Blind to whats real verses whats false. You've been steeped in religion since birth. And yet you are in a fog of confusion. Because you've seen and heard so much. You've seen evil right in the church. You've been hurt right in the church. You've seen darkness in the church. You've heard evil words spoken against leaders in the church. On the other hand, you've seen the miraculous. You've seen joy and deliverance. You've heard anointed, powerful preaching right in the church. You, yourself, have been touched by God. And yet you are stuck in blindness and have been blind since birth. 

Jesus wants to open your eyes today. Starting now, this moment, simply focus Your eyes on Jesus. Forget everything else but Jesus. Lay all the fog of confusion at His bloody feet. Allow His blood to pour down over you. Just stay there until you're soaked in His cleansing, healing blood. And don't look back. And from this moment forward, don't take your eyes off of Jesus. Get comfortable with your new seeing eyes. Get comfortable with truth. And when the fog of confusion tries to come around and overtake you, just say NO, DEVIL, YOU'RE A LIAR!, and look to Jesus once again! 

People won't recognize you! They will say, "Oh, it's not really her, it only looks like her!" And you may encounter people who treat you badly or put you out, as in John chapter nine. But it's okay! Once you were blind, but now you see! Embrace your new eyes! Embrace your new, clear vision of whats real and what's false! Unwrap your gift of sight today! You will never be the same!

"Dear Jesus, I pray for the one who is blind this morning. The one who's lived her life in a fog of religion. Everything all blurs together. She's seen so much and heard so much. She wants to believe, and yet she doesn't know what to believe anymore. Please reach down and touch her eyes and open them to what's real, Jesus! Help her to lay aside the false garbage she's heard and seen all her life. Help her to simply look to You. You ARE the truth she's been seeking. Thank You for what You are doing right now, Jesus! I worship You, You are amazing! In an instant, You can open these precious eyes that have been blind for a lifetime. Thank You! In Your glorious, matchless name I pray, Jesus, AMEN."