“Against the Darkness”

This Sunday’s scripture is John 9:24-34

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

John 9:39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”

If we can’t see God’s work, maybe it’s because our vision is unclear. Show me, I’ll believe it when I see it, seeing is believing, and so on and so forth we like our proof. And there is nothing like our natural senses, like sight, hearing, and touch, to make us believe in something. But there are times I get something in my head, an expectation of how something is supposed to work, sound, or look, and I miss what’s in front of me. Or maybe I misinterpret what I see, hear, or feel. Preconceived ideas or expectations can have a lot to do with how we interpret our world, and experiences, as our perception is filtered through our own understanding. It can even affect our understanding of God and what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.

I am one who believes God is always working around us and in us. I also believe I miss most of what God is doing, particularly if it seems new to me, or different. Maybe I’m too busy, or just not paying enough attention to grasp the presence of the Lord. I know one solution to this dilemma is intentional prayer. The kind where you listen more than speak. Or reading over scripture in a manner of meditative prayer.

A good question for all to consider is, can you think of a time when your own preconceived ideas may have prevented you from seeing what the Holy Spirit is doing? Hopefully, this question, when carefully pondered, will open our spiritual senses. Kind of like looking in our personal rearview mirror and seeing how the Lord has been with us. In this way, I believe we can develop a greater understanding of God at work in our world. With a practiced spiritual sense, we are more likely to see or feel the love and care of our Lord. Both in the light and darkness of our lives, we will remember that we are all loved by our God.

I hope you will join us this Sunday at 8:45 am or 11 am, and let’s consider together where we have seen God at work, and where the Lord is going.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick