One Sunday recently a friend in my Bible Fellowship shared the experience his wife is going through with the loss of sight in one eye. He related how God had spoken to him in this and other circumstances to grow his faith. He finished that testimony by playing this Willie Nelson song "It's Not for Me to Understand" from 1971, which he heard on the country radio station recently during their time of deepest concern. The song is about a boy born blind, and God's answer to the question - Why?
The ninth chapter of the Gospel of John is about Jesus healing a man born blind. The chapter ends with Jesus saying basically the same thing that Willie sang - you too are blind without My eyes. Like the song, the meaning is profoundly simple but deep.
And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains."
John 9:39-41 NASB
Is Jesus saying that blind people are sinless? Not at all; that would be far too shallow and meaningless. No, Jesus is talking about innocence vs. arrogance, spiritual awareness vs. the wisdom of this world. What the blind man saw, that the Pharisees missed, was his own spiritual poverty and need of healing that only God can provide, of both soul and body. The Pharisees were blinded by their arrogance and religious zeal, unwilling to accept the promise of eternal life that only Jesus could give.
This analogy of blindness as innocence continues with the parable in John 10 where Jesus presents Himself as the Shepherd of sheep that only know His voice. The loss of innocence through the awareness of sin begins -not surprisingly- in the beginning with the original sin.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
Genesis 3:6-7 NASB
The forbidden fruit gave Adam and Eve the wisdom of the world, but caused them (and all their descendants) to be blinded to the presence of God, banned from Eden and the Tree of Life.
It is our sinful flesh that separates us from God and blinds us to His presence. The more we experience the desires and cares of this world, the less we will experience the still small voice that speaks to us in the darkness of night.
While we are blinded by this world and sin, if we have received the Spirit of Truth we "have ears to hear". We simply must take time to listen. This is why there are times when fasting and prayer are required, to put aside the desires of the flesh and open our ears to hear.
The Word of God is living and active when we listen and apply it to our lives. This is a lesson that I need to re-learn every morning and every day. But as time wears away my flesh and my eyes grow dim, my spirit grows stronger and more aware of the unseen treasure that is available in the presence of the Almighty. That is where we all need to focus as we see the day of our redemption drawing near.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace!
From the hymn "Heavenly Vision" by Helen Howarth Lemmel
