We see in John 9 that Jesus healed yet another man on the Sabbath. Why did He heal on the Sabbath knowing that it would cause anger and consternation among the leaders of Israel? Because Jesus was confronting the religious leaders at the point of their sin, which was their man-made religious system. They had long ago abandoned true devotion to God in favor of man-made traditions, and outward piety that was devoid of true inner devotion. And, just like corrupt leaders today, they were prepared to protect that false system at any cost.
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" -- Matthew 15:7-9
The confrontations of Christ were not by accident, they were by design. Whether He drove money changers from the temple or healed on the Sabbath, He had a clear reason for doing so.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. -- John 3:17-19
That is the subtext underneath the ministry of Christ. He came not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He came to seek and to save the lost. And that meant shining His light in dark places. It meant confronting people in their sin and calling them to repentance. It meant giving them (and us) a wake-up call, and we generally don't like that. Jesus is like the morning sun shining into our darkened rooms where we slumber in sin.
When Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath day, it caused quite a commotion for all parties involved. It was yet another confrontational act on the part of Jesus and no heart was left untroubled. The people didn't know what to make of this miracle, so they dragged the blind man to their leaders. In turn, the Jewish leaders did not want to believe this man who was staring at them with a newly fashioned set of eyes. And the man's parents, instead of rejoicing that their son had received his sight, wanted nothing to do with the situation because they feared the Jewish leaders and excommunication from the synagogue. Excommunication would have severed them from the religious, social, and economic life of Israel.
But there is yet another reason Jesus healed this blind man; because physical blindness is a picture of spiritual blindness and spiritual darkness. It is a vivid illustration to show us that Jesus came to open our spiritually blind eyes so that we might see the light of Christ. Unless Jesus opens our spiritual eyes, we will remain blind to the things of God, just like the Jewish leaders who were too blind and too proud see their own spiritual poverty and their need for Christ.
Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains. -- John 9:39-41
Even as the evidence mounted about who Jesus was, their hearts grew harder and harder. It is a dangerous thing to ignore the words of Christ. When confronted with the claims of Christ, our hearts will either soften, and we will bow to His Lordship, or our hearts will grow harder, and that without remedy (Proverbs 29:1). When the light of Christ shines, our eyes will either be opened by the truth, or we will run further into darkness. But you needn't be "religious" to be a Pharisee. At base, a Pharisee is proud before God and thinks himself better than others.
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." -- Luke 18:9-14
We are either proud before God (like the Pharisee), believing that we can stand in His awesome holy presence based on our record of good deeds, or we will understand our true condition (like the tax collector); that we are spiritually bankrupt, wretched and broken, and in need of the mercy that God so freely gives. And that is the confrontation -- we are all told that we are sinners before a holy and just God, that none are righteous, not even one (Romans 3:9-11), and even our best works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We are given a sober assessment and a tough diagnosis - and we, like the pharisees, are offended. But with that sobering truth, we are told of a miraculous cure, and an offer of peace from the very God we have offended:
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
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