John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Oh Friends, let’s open our hearts, souls and minds to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on this new morn and invite Him to accompany us again, as we journey through another day of earthly life. He is the best companion we can ever have on any journey. Please thank Him for being there with us yesterday, and ask Him to guide us safely and righteously in all that we do today, that we may be worthy of being called a Christian, His follower. Now Jesus spoke Today’s Bit as a result of foolish hard heartedness and stubborn pride on the part of the Pharisees. Jesus had healed a man born blind by putting clay on his eyes then instructed him to ‘Go wash in the pool of Siloam.’ (John 9:7) The fellow did this without any contention and received his sight. But the know-it-all Pharisees refused to believe that it was so simple. They even called his parents who admitted he was born blind, but had no idea how he received sight, and told them ‘he is of age; ask him; he shall speak for himself.’ (John 9:21) The parents gave that reply because the Jews had already threatened to put anyone who confessed Christ, out of the synagogue. The Pharisees refused to let it go and called him again, ‘and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.’ (John 9:24) The fellow replied that he didn’t know if Jesus was a sinner or not, all he knew was that He had given him sight. But the Pharisees persisted, asking him again what Jesus had done. And like Jesus didn’t only give him sight, but also some gumption, cause he mouthed off to the Pharisees, saying he’d already told them once and they didn’t believe him, why should he tell them again, and if they too wanted to be Jesus’ disciples. Obviously that riled them and they reviled him, saying that they were Moses’ disciples, because they knew that God spake to Moses, but they didn’t know where Jesus came from. Oh Friends, the man’s reply is a thing of beauty. It could only have come from the Most High Himself. ‘Why here is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.’ (John 9:30-33) Oh my people, that is the living truth! It was obvious that Jesus could not have done any miracles if He was such a raging sinner as the Pharisees proclaimed. But they were like so many of us today; ‘none so blind as those who refuse to see.’ Everybody knew the fellow was born blind, not stupid, but they still refused to accept his explanation, because it would have shown them up as the hypocrites and men pleasers that they were. Unfortunately the same stuff happens daily with us. We see things happening in our lives, which could only have one explanation, the work of God, but because of our innate pride and stubbornness, we refuse to accept it as such, since it would mean doing or putting aside things in our lives that don’t gel with God’s plans. And the Pharisees showed their haughty ignorance by telling the man: ‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.’ (John 9:34) Ah mih people, we behave the same way when we don’t want to recognize or accept a truth that will change our lives and/or our thinking on long held misconceptions. And the story shows that Jesus didn’t do stuff then forget about it, but always had the pulse of the situation. When He heard that the guy had been kicked out of the temple, He sought him out, and having found him, asked; ‘Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.’ (John 9:35-38) Wow Friends! That was so simple and so touching! Jesus gave the man sight, then told him He was the Son of God, and he believed. How could it be any other way eh? But the Pharisees, and us too, with all our fancy learning, customs and otherwise couldn’t accept it as being that simple. Friends, if we check out the Good Book, we’ll see that our God doesn’t usually make a big hoopla of His doings; they’re usually done in a simple, down to earth manner. And the best place to find or look for God is in the simple things and actions of life. After the man believed, then Jesus told him: ‘For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.’ Oh my people, seeing here not only refers to the actual act of visualizing with one’s eyes, but also seeing through the eyes of faith with our hearts, minds and souls. And oftimes, that seeing is the most important, for many things in life cannot be explained through normal human sight or logic, but instead need a strong, deep Christian faith to make them even seem possible. That ‘s the ideal to which we should all aspire: to a faith so strong, so powerful, unbendable and unbreakable, that when all the evil forces come against us, showing logical, man made reasons why we’re wrong, or should accept certain things which go against God’s will, then we’ll be able to rebuke them and say like Jesus did in His time of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; ‘nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Mat.26:39). Yes Friends, we need to always bow to the Lord’s will, even if it may cause us pain and sorrow. More tomorrow on this Bit; if it’s the Lord’s will of course. Till then, Much LOVE!…for we walk by faith…not by sight…
Oh Friends, let’s open our hearts, souls and minds to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on this new morn and invite Him to accompany us again, as we journey through another day of earthly life. He is the best companion we can ever have on any journey. Please thank Him for being there with us yesterday, and ask Him to guide us safely and righteously in all that we do today, that we may be worthy of being called a Christian, His follower. Now Jesus spoke Today’s Bit as a result of foolish hard heartedness and stubborn pride on the part of the Pharisees. Jesus had healed a man born blind by putting clay on his eyes then instructed him to ‘Go wash in the pool of Siloam.’ (John 9:7) The fellow did this without any contention and received his sight. But the know-it-all Pharisees refused to believe that it was so simple. They even called his parents who admitted he was born blind, but had no idea how he received sight, and told them ‘he is of age; ask him; he shall speak for himself.’ (John 9:21) The parents gave that reply because the Jews had already threatened to put anyone who confessed Christ, out of the synagogue. The Pharisees refused to let it go and called him again, ‘and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.’ (John 9:24) The fellow replied that he didn’t know if Jesus was a sinner or not, all he knew was that He had given him sight. But the Pharisees persisted, asking him again what Jesus had done. And like Jesus didn’t only give him sight, but also some gumption, cause he mouthed off to the Pharisees, saying he’d already told them once and they didn’t believe him, why should he tell them again, and if they too wanted to be Jesus’ disciples. Obviously that riled them and they reviled him, saying that they were Moses’ disciples, because they knew that God spake to Moses, but they didn’t know where Jesus came from. Oh Friends, the man’s reply is a thing of beauty. It could only have come from the Most High Himself. ‘Why here is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.’ (John 9:30-33) Oh my people, that is the living truth! It was obvious that Jesus could not have done any miracles if He was such a raging sinner as the Pharisees proclaimed. But they were like so many of us today; ‘none so blind as those who refuse to see.’ Everybody knew the fellow was born blind, not stupid, but they still refused to accept his explanation, because it would have shown them up as the hypocrites and men pleasers that they were. Unfortunately the same stuff happens daily with us. We see things happening in our lives, which could only have one explanation, the work of God, but because of our innate pride and stubbornness, we refuse to accept it as such, since it would mean doing or putting aside things in our lives that don’t gel with God’s plans. And the Pharisees showed their haughty ignorance by telling the man: ‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.’ (John 9:34) Ah mih people, we behave the same way when we don’t want to recognize or accept a truth that will change our lives and/or our thinking on long held misconceptions. And the story shows that Jesus didn’t do stuff then forget about it, but always had the pulse of the situation. When He heard that the guy had been kicked out of the temple, He sought him out, and having found him, asked; ‘Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.’ (John 9:35-38) Wow Friends! That was so simple and so touching! Jesus gave the man sight, then told him He was the Son of God, and he believed. How could it be any other way eh? But the Pharisees, and us too, with all our fancy learning, customs and otherwise couldn’t accept it as being that simple. Friends, if we check out the Good Book, we’ll see that our God doesn’t usually make a big hoopla of His doings; they’re usually done in a simple, down to earth manner. And the best place to find or look for God is in the simple things and actions of life. After the man believed, then Jesus told him: ‘For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.’ Oh my people, seeing here not only refers to the actual act of visualizing with one’s eyes, but also seeing through the eyes of faith with our hearts, minds and souls. And oftimes, that seeing is the most important, for many things in life cannot be explained through normal human sight or logic, but instead need a strong, deep Christian faith to make them even seem possible. That ‘s the ideal to which we should all aspire: to a faith so strong, so powerful, unbendable and unbreakable, that when all the evil forces come against us, showing logical, man made reasons why we’re wrong, or should accept certain things which go against God’s will, then we’ll be able to rebuke them and say like Jesus did in His time of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; ‘nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Mat.26:39). Yes Friends, we need to always bow to the Lord’s will, even if it may cause us pain and sorrow. More tomorrow on this Bit; if it’s the Lord’s will of course. Till then, Much LOVE!…for we walk by faith…not by sight…
SCRIP-BITS 