The Gift of Sight – March 20, 2020

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
John 9:35-38

The Gift of Sight

What would it be like for an adult who was born blind suddenly to be able to see? They might look upon their family and friends for the first time but not even recognize them! They might struggle for a while to connect their newfound vision to the more familiar worlds of sound and touch. But what a wonderful challenge! How much fun they would have trying to make sense out of everything they could now see around them!

Jesus gave this gift to a man that we read about in the gospel of John. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the man’s adjustment to being able to see but rather describes a different transition from blindness to sight. Through his encounter with Jesus, the formerly blind man also gained the gift of spiritual sight, which was faith in his Savior. His spiritual vision wasn’t perfect right away—he didn’t even recognize that God’s Son was standing right in front of him. But he was eager to learn and put his new sight into practice by worshiping the one who opened his eyes.

Whenever people are brought to faith by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, it is like helping them to see for the first time. They see God as he truly is—gracious, merciful, and powerful to save. They see themselves as God sees them—as sinners who are loved anyway for the sake of Jesus. They may not see everything clearly right away. It takes time to adjust to this new vision. But what a blessing to spend the rest of your life learning to see things the way God sees them!

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, don’t let me take my vision for granted—either physical or spiritual sight. Open my eyes to see people and things as you see them. Help me always to keep my eyes focused on Jesus as my one true Savior. Amen.