I was Blind!
I was blind, now I see;
Jn. 9: 25.
Strong's Greek: 3467. μυωπάζω (muópazó) -- To be short-sighted, to …
By choosing this rare word, Peter invokes the plight of spiritual nearsightedness: a believer whose vision is restricted to present impulses and earthly concerns, forfeiting the larger horizon of salvation history[i]
Myopia - Etymology, Origin & Meaning - Etymonline
myopia (n.) "short-sightedness," 1727, medical Latin, from Late Greek myōpia "near-sightedness," from myōps "near-sighted," literally "closing the eyes, blinking," on the notion of "squinting, contracting the …[ii]
They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind (Jn. 9:13). This explains that the healing of the blind man is for the glory of God.
Works of necessity and mercy never
could be forbidden on that day by him whose name is mercy, and whose nature is love; for the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for
the Sabbath; were it otherwise, the
Sabbath would be rather a curse than
a blessing.” (Clarke)
He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see; Jn. 9: 25.
The blind man never even saw Jesus until later in the story. His first dealings with Jesus were while he was still blind, and Jesus was not there when he washed his eyes at the Pool of Siloam and could see.
Despite the intense intimidation, the men stayed courageous in their confession of faith. Spurgeon eloquently described the horror of those who lose their courage at such times: “Remember also that by yielding to the fear of man you are demeaning yourself. ” (Spurgeon)
Spirituality has most
often been defined as a sense of being connected to something greater than
oneself. Blind sees, and Jesus healed the blind. There is a spiritual blindness
in all of us, only God can heal and open our eyes to see. Something happens in
our brain, metaphysically and when we engage in it, this improves mental
health, emotional well-being and our performance.
Neuroimaging research indicates that some brain regions exhibit stable patterns of
activation or deactivation across spiritual experiences.[iii]
One of the things worthy to be noticed in our Lord’s character is his wonderful quiet spirit, gentleness, tenderness, especially his marvelous calmness in the presence of those who misjudged, miscalculated, insulted, underrate and slandered him. This is something we beleivers have to learn, when we are reviled and accused in these days to come.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 1 Pet. 2: 23.
As our heart remember previous
life experiences and identity we had, it is very obvious that our past
experiences of self become part of our heart. If
our hearts are hardened towards our neighbour, that still means that we are not
able to see what the Lord wanted us to see! Unless our spiritual eyes are
opened by the Lord, we cannot see clearly.
“Such a man sees the things of time, and fails to discern those of
eternity … he sees himself and his fellowmen, but not God. This nearsightedness
is destructive of a true Christian experience, and therefore makes advance
impossible.” (Morgan)
This healing work of our
Savior cost Jesus something; it wasn’t as if He had a
magic bag of healing power that He drew from and cast about to the needy. It
came at the cost of His own agony. “If His word and touch brought instant
deliverance to men, it was because in a great mystery of grace He suffered in
order to save.” (Morgan)
If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable; 1
Cori. 15: 19.
God has put this glory into the
believer right now. In heaven the glory will simply be revealed. “The glory will be revealed, not created. The implication is that it is
already existent, but not apparent.” (Morris)
Neuroscientists
reveal
the brain ignores Truth and accepts whatever thoughts you repeat frequently as the
Truth overtime. This is the effect of Fall, and we would rather believe a lie
as truth!
The good thing of over coming
nearsightedness spiritually, brings healing, and we begin to see more clearly;
and it activates our brain for our
overall goodness. Spiritual practices make one less vulnerable to disease by
regulating the hormonal and neural systems.
Neurotransmitters: Dopamine, serotonin, and
oxytocin are boosted, improving mood, motivation, and attachment. Default
Mode Network (DMN): This network deactivates itself during spiritual
practice, reducing ego-centered thought and enhancing feelings of compassion
and interconnectedness. In addition, developed states can show synchrony
between different cerebral areas, leading to increased coherence and clarity in
cognitive functions.[iv]
True Story: A good friend of mine, while
driving in the snow, the wheels started spinning out of control, and she was
skidding. She felt that her life was over that day; and she cried out to God,
and asked Jesus to take the wheel, and took her hands off the wheel. The next
thing she knew of when she opened her eyes was, she found herself in the car safely
landed on the side snow bank. To her surprise, not a scratch on her, and she
was safe. Sometimes in life experiences we have to take the hands off the
wheel!
Seeing is not the thing that the Lord
simply pours into us as we passively receive; without us taking any effort to
attain them. Instead, we are called to give all diligence to
these things, working in partnership with God to add them. This is
allowing God, to be in the driver seat and following Him faithfully, every step
of our way. The Blind can See !
