Friday | 25 September 2026
It is helpful to consider the confession of the man whose natural blindness was healed when Jesus formed new eyeballs for him from the dust of the earth. Joh 9:6-7. After this man had been cast out of the synagogue, Jesus found him and asked him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ Joh 9:35. Demonstrating his poverty of spirit, the man acknowledged his lack of spiritual sight, asking, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ Joh 9:36. Jesus made Himself known to the man, who then confessed ‘Lord, I believe’, and he worshipped Him. Joh 9:37-38.
Commenting on this response, Jesus said, ‘For judgement I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Joh 9:39. The Pharisees who were with Jesus, incredulously asked, ‘Are we blind also?’ Joh 9:40. They did not believe that they were blind, revealing that they were not poor in spirit. If they did possess spiritual sight, they would have fallen down at Christ’s feet and worshipped Him who could deliver them from their bondage to sin.
While engaging with the word through cognition alone moves information to self-centredness, faith received by hearing the word is always other-centred, for it is centred in Yahweh Himself; that is, it is fellowship-centred. As Paul explained, ‘And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.’ 2Co 4:13-15. Only those who trust in the source of the word, and the means of its ministry through messengers, are able to see and to obtain this faith.
Further Study:
John 9
References:
Joh 9:6-7
When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So, he went and washed, and came back seeing.
Joh 9:35-40
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshipped Him. And Jesus said, ‘For judgement I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’
2Co 4:13-15
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore, I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.