The Gospel reading today from the ninth chapter of of John takes only two verses for the miracle and thirty-nine for the reaction (Jn 9:1-41).  The two verses miracle is the healing of the blind man and the thirty nine verses is about how the religious leaders could not refute the reasoning and spirituality of the blind man so they threw him out of the temple (Jn 9:34). The Gospel reading also points us to the G5 – Group of Blind World, each represents us in some ways. The man born blind from birth, born with a sin nature, stuck in making sinful choices and culture; the disciples (the church), stuck on the mundane level, unable to see the big picture; the friends, stuck in the past, unable to recognise the transforming power of God’s love; The Pharisees (leaders), stuck in the Torah, unable to think outside the box; and the parents, stuck in their fear, unable to speak out. Beloved, it is not a shame to be blind because ‘in the eyes of faith, blindness is a virtue.’

The blind man also suggests the rejected church by the religious leaders, the hard hearts of the unbelieving Pharisees. The warning is that Jesus came to give sight to the spiritually blind, but also to bring those who think they see without Him to judgement. Jesus said, “For judgement I came into the world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Beloved, where do you falls into, the blind see (vs 35-38), and the seeing blind (vs 39-41).

The modern seeing church despite our professional skills at investigating irregularities and other policies, we are called to acknowledge God power that cannot be contained by any religious dogma or principle. Just as the Pharisees like the modern seeing church are trained and equipped to observe, described, and explain things, they lacked the power and are blinded to God’s way of seeing. The healing of the man born blind represents an iconic representation of Christianity as a way of seeing in contrast to modern cultures of seeing.

The story of the blind man is a story of two kinds of blindness. There is physical blindness, a tragedy but could be treated through healing, courage, education, and determination. There is also the most tragic spiritual blindness which can only be overcome though God’s Redemption At Christ Expense – GRACE. The role of the religious leaders, as ‘the guardians of tradition, the pillars of the community that stood between God and the people’ was in decline because they were spiritual blindness.  They were more handicapped by blindness than the man who was healed. The blindness of the religious leader which is spiritual suggests for most of us the one we have to deal with. While the leaders and modern church like the Pharisees are sceptical, the crowd were amazed. Pride causes spiritual blindness. Unbelief prevents the transforming light of Jesus Christ from entering our lives. Using the blindness and light metaphor, Satan, the god of this age, ‘has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Cor 4:4, 6). To gain spiritual sight, Paul said, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” God’s power that spoke light into existence is able to open blind eyes when He saves a soul.

When we experience and encounter Jesus anew, our response in today’s culture and way of seeing should resonate with the visionary: “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” We need the healing and a new encounter with God today for our story to change and for the gross darkness that covers the earth presently to disappear. The reflection is that ‘If the blind man had remained blind, he might have continued a tolerably happy beggar. He seems to have had very considerable mental resources, and he might have made his way in the world as well as others of the begging confraternity. But you cannot be happy or safe unless the Lord Jesus opens your eyes. There remains for you nothing but the blackness of darkness for ever, unless light from heaven visits you,’ and I.

Beloved, Jesus Christ is in the midst of our darkness – physical, health, marital, economic, political, and spiritual. It is either we receive Him as the True Light or continue in our darkness. When you minimise your sin like the Pharisees and refusing to admit they you are blind, you are keeping yourself from gaining spiritual sight. Hear this, no good work is enough to qualify for heaven. To move from spiritual blindness to sight, you must believe in Jesus just as the formerly blind man answered the question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” You must answer the question, either now or at the judgement, when it will be too late. Hardened unbelief is the result of rejecting spiritual sight and it ‘culminates in eternal judgement,’ and this is well explained in Isaiah’s prophecy, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have close their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them” (Is 6:9).

This is a season to pray that God will return the church’s authority as light that overcomes every works of darkness.


A Prayer to Combat the Coronavirus Pandemic
Most merciful and Triune God,
We come to you in our weakness.
We come to you in our fear.
We come to you with trust.
For you alone are our hope.

We place before you the disease present in our world.
We turn to you in our time of need.
Bring wisdom to doctors.
Give understanding to scientists.
Endow caregivers with compassion and generosity.
Bring healing to those who are ill.
Protect those who are most at risk.
Give comfort to those who have lost a loved one.
Welcome those who have died into your eternal home.

Stabilize our communities.
Unite us in our compassion.
Remove all fear from our hearts.
Fill us with confidence in your care.

Jesus, we trust in you.
Jesus, we trust in you.
Jesus, we trust in you.
Amen.