Blindspots
Delivered 3/1/2009 on John 9:1-41 by Carter Sanger
The other day I was reading a book to one of my sons and I started to have some blindspots in my vision. I couldn’t see just off center in one of my eyes. It was so bad that I had to put the book down. I went into my room and closed my eyes for a few minutes thinking that perhaps I had looked into a light for too long and that it would soon go away. But when I opened my eyes a few minutes later, the blindspot was still there. It was a frightening experience. I couldn’t help but ponder, what would I do if this was permanent? What would I do if I go completely blind? My whole world would be turned upside down. I would need to learn how to everything all over again. Could I handle that? I don’t know.
This week we’ve come to an encounter with a blind man. But, as we’ve come to expect Jesus miracles to be signs pointing us to something, the encounter with the physically blind man leads us to consider the concept of spiritual blindness. Jesus says remarkably at the end the chapter,
For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.
As I pondered what it would be like to go physically blind, I want you to ponder what it would be like to be spiritually blind. How would your world be turned upside down?
From this passage we learn that Jesus gives sight to the blind. This gives us the freedom to see our blindspots.
The story starts and ends with a blind man that gains his sight, but most of the story is the drama surrounding the healing. It is this drama that gives us insight into spiritual blindness. As we look at it, I want to consider what a blindspot is, what causes them, and finally what the cure looks like.
