Abundant Life

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
John 10:8-10 NLT
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
John 10:10 AMP

Before we start getting excited over the potential material benefits of a “rich and satisfying life” in the years we have left in this world, we should note that Jesus was referring to spiritual life. The parable of the Good Shepherd and His sheep created a wonderful picture of how God looks after us, and what He has to offer. The life that Jesus offered is eternal life, because He said in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”. Believing in Jesus will not mean we will live in our natural bodies forever, but He will provide a home for our souls eternally. Jesus told His disciples about eternal life in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”. This is the abundant life that Jesus referred to in His Good Shepherd parable. We should also note that Jesus said, about our natural lives, in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”. So, on the one hand we have our natural lives, and on the other our spiritual lives. How do we reconcile the two?

Our natural and spiritual lives are intertwined – one affects the other and vice versa. The conflict that can sometimes develop was summed up by Paul in Romans 7:21-24, “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Thankfully, Paul left us a legacy that saw through the dilemma we all face and he wrote, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 7:25-8:2). 

In the UK, established denominations are on the decline but where have all the believers gone? Other churches don’t see to have benefited greatly by picking up those who have left declining congregations. Have all these church members decided that they don’t believe anymore and so stay at home on a Sunday? I’m sure there is an element in that, but perhaps many Christians are instead waiting for the day when they cross the Great Divide and move on to eternal life, or so they hope, disillusioned by a denominational Christianity that doesn’t contain the abundant life Jesus promised. Perhaps many churches have become religious social clubs failing in their mission to the world, and failing in their relevance to a needy generation.

Perhaps there are pilgrims out there today who can relate to this lack of abundance in their own lives, so how can they remedy the situation? We of course turn once again to Jesus. he will refresh our souls. He will provide the living water from a well that never runs dry. He will even feed us the very bread of life, sustaining our souls on the journey to our promised land. We have much to thank Jesus for. Abundant life is within our grasp, but we have to reach out and apply it to us every day and in every situation we are likely to meet.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all of Heaven’s resources that are available to us. Life so abundantly is the norm in Your Kingdom and we are so grateful. Amen.

Sight To The Blind

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”
John 9:39-41 NLT

The account of the blind man being healed started with Jesus walking along and finding a man who was blind from birth. This became a learning experience for His disciples that was enhanced by a miraculous event that astounded and divided the people in Jerusalem. A baby who was born totally unsighted was miraculously transformed to become like most people around him with normal 20/20 vision. The account continued through various stages and finally ends with Jesus returning to teach about blindness, but this time spiritual. He used the example of physical healing to hammer home His message that spiritual blindness could be healed by God as well. 

Jesus said to Mr Blind-no-more that He “entered this world to render judgment”. But we read earlier in John’s Gospel that, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). An apparent contradiction? The reality for all humanity is that sin that isn’t dealt with will ultimately lead to a situation where judgement happens by default. Jesus we know came to this world to save it’s inhabitants from the consequences of their sins, but it appears that in His day there were many who refused to believe in Him, thinking instead that they were not sinners. These were the Pharisees and their followers who believed that their adherence to the smallest details of their law was sufficient to ensure their righteousness and freedom from judgement for sin. 

We read in Luke 4:18 about the time when Jesus attended the synagogue in the village where He was brought up. He read from the prophet Isaiah the verses that summarised His mission on earth – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come”. The Good News, He said, will deliver sight to the blind, and Jesus repeated this in the closing verses of John 9. Jesus probably knew that there were some Pharisees within earshot, and He was referring to them with His statement that those who think they can see are really blind. A spiritual reference of course, but one that highlighted the dilemma for the Pharisees and all those who thought the same way. To be told that their adherence to a position of rejecting Jesus’ message was in fact spiritual blindness, rendering them in danger of judgement.

So what about us pilgrims? How is our (spiritual) vision? Are we open to all that Jesus has for us, or do we suffer from partial or selective blindness? If the preacher one Sunday makes a statement that we find difficult, do we reject it, or do we go away and ask God to open our eyes to what has been said? To shut our eyes tight when the Master speaks, when the Holy Spirit whispers something in our souls,  may bring our journey to the promised land to an end in a cul-de-sac of our own making. We may still experience salvation one day, but our spiritual growth will possibly be stunted and we will fail to realise our full potential in God. 

The spiritual journey through this sad and bad world is strewn with boulders and wrong turnings. If we are spiritually blind we will find the journey too difficult to complete. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne”. It is only by following Jesus that we will finish the journey and we need to keep our eyes open. The spiritually blind won’t make it.

Dear Father God. We pray that Your upon our eyes so that we can see everything You have for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do You Believe?

Posted on by Adrian Clark

““You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
John 9:34-38 NLT

Jesus’ compassion was such that He wanted to make sure Mr Blind-no-more was alright. After his mauling in the Pharisees’ court, with its subsequent punishment of excommunication, the man found his euphoric, sight-restored, bubble pricked and deflated, leaving him devoid of the social contact and help he would now desperately need. But he had a future and a hope by believing in Jesus. And he was found by Jesus, his new Lord and Master, who lifted him up into a new bubble of belief in the Son of God. One day that man would find himself somewhere where the Pharisees couldn’t go. 

Jesus was consistent in His message that only those who believe in Him will enter a spiritual realm that includes God Himself. We have of course the much-quoted verse in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”. He said much the same in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life”. In John 6:35, Jesus said, ” … I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus’ message of salvation through believing in Him expanded to include His teaching for the new believers. It was hard teaching at times, but the results came to fruition on that day when the rushing wind and tongues of fire empowered the early church founders to continue in obedience to what their Lord and Master said to them. The Holy Spirit brought to their remembrance the truths expounded during their years spent with Him. 

We don’t know what happened to Mr Blind-no-more after his encounter with Jesus. After such a miraculous healing, he probably became a disciple and follower of Jesus, and may have even been in the upper room when the Holy Spirit fell on those who were gathered there. He certainly never lacked the boldness necessary to stand up to the Pharisee. In his shoes I would certainly like to think that I would become a follower of the Man who healed me and restored my sight. We are told that after he met Jesus again, Mr Blind-no-more worshipped Jesus after confessing that he believed in Him. And we can almost hear the gates of hell clang shut behind another person who had escaped its clutches. We pilgrims too have been redeemed from the sins that otherwise would have entangled us, and we now enjoy our status as followers of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Perhaps one day we will catch up with Mr Blind-no-more and will be able to ask him about his amazing experience.

Dear God. You are truly amazing and Your power has not only enabled countless miracles to take place, but it has also opened the door for sinners to enter Your kingdom. We are so thankful. Amen.

Excommunicated

Posted on by Adrian Clark

““Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.”
John 9:30-34 NLT

The man born blind was put under a lot of pressure by the Pharisees. They kept asking him about how he had been healed in the hope that they could trip him up and satisfy their antagonistic position against Jesus, perhaps by exposing some sort of trickery or even downright lies. But Mr Blind-no-more was having none of their nonsense and he sealed his doom, as far as the Pharisees were concerned, by saying, “If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”  The Pharisees were probably not used to anyone pushing back against their judgements and after accusing him of being “a total sinner” they “threw him out of the synagogue”. 

A synagogue was, and still is in some respects, the Jewish centre of their cultural, communal and, spiritual identity, and they even had emotional attachments to it. So to be expelled from it was a big deal in Jesus’ day and it meant the individual concerned joined a group of dissenters, perhaps even with a criminal element, people who found themselves excluded from fellowship with most of their friends and neighbours. The people in Mr Blind-no-more’s community would have divided into two camps – those who perhaps sympathised with him and supported him but were afraid to say anything, and those who sided with the Pharisees and shunned the man, perhaps in the hope of receiving Pharisaical favours. But for Mr Blind-no-more, being excommunicated from the synagogue would have meant a painful social isolation just at the time when he needed support and inclusion.

The Pharisees had little in the way of sanctions that they could apply against anyone who disagreed with them, so to them the nuclear option of being thrown out of the synagogue was all they had to fall back on. In the history of the Christian church, excommunication was also practised against those who upset the church hierarchy. Jesus set the basis for church discipline in Matthew 18, with the conclusion spelled out in verse 17, “If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” Today,  being excommunicated is not considered much of a sanction, and in my experience matters of church discipline are resolved between the person, or people, concerned and the elders, or they resign from membership. Sadly, in some denominations, some people who object to, or disagree with, certain matters of church doctrine, are more likely to be accommodated for their views, resulting in a dilution of the church’s integrity and purity. 

We pilgrims, however, have the benefit of having a personal relationship with God. We have no need to rely on a priest or synagogue leader for access to God’s throne. There is no excommunication possible for a child of God. Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We give God all the praise today.
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Dear Father God. We are Your children and we thank You that no-one can tear us away from You. Amen.

God Is Always Ready to Hear

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.””
John 9:28-33 NLT

Mr Blind-no-more wasn’t afraid to stand up to the Pharisees, unlike his parents. The Pharisees argued that because they didn’t know where Jesus had come from, then His miraculous act of healing lacked validity. They maintained that it couldn’t have been God, or anyone representing Him, who performed the miracle, because whoever did it should have first checked things out with them and obtained their seal of approval. The Pharisees’ view of God was boxed in by their interpretation of the Law of Moses. But Mr Blind-no-more had a different logic. He said that regardless of the Pharisees’ opinion, which was, “If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” He went further by turning the Pharisees’ logic around and said that regardless of where Jesus had come from, He must have come from God to perform such a miraculous healing. 

In the middle of the exchange, Mr Blind-no-more said that “God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will”. Such a view was commonplace in the legalistic environment of those days, that God listened to those who were for Him, and He didn’t listen to those who were against Him. So according to the Pharisees, if Jesus was a sinner, the miracle, if it happened, couldn’t have been from God. 

Does God only listen to the prayers of a righteous person? If we believe that then we are doing what the Pharisees did – we have put God in a box. God is compassionate, loving, and gracious, and He will do what He considers to be right. And if He answers the prayers of someone who doesn’t believe in Him, then that is His prerogative. Quite why such a person would pray to Him is perhaps academic, because there are unbelievers’ prayers heard by God in the Old Testament. In Genesis 21 we can read the story of Hagar and her son Ishmael. Or the people of Nineveh in Jonah 3. In times past, desperate people have cried out to God for relief from their situation. Sometimes He answered. In. 1 John 5:14, we read, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” Perhaps that verse also applies to anyone, believers or not, who pray in accordance with His will. 

Sadly today we in the UK are living in an increasingly secular society. And the names of God and His Son are only used in expletive phrases. People fail to believe that he exists, their minds blinded by the enemy and his servants who come up with all sorts of theories (for example, evolution?) that try and explain the world around us. And instead of turning to God when circumstances dictate, they even turn their back on Him and some even go to occultism for a remedy. It must break God’s heart to see such happenings, as it did in Genesis 6:6, “So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart”. But there will come a day when God will be universally acknowledged. Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.

We pilgrims love the Lord. We are His children and we know that He listens to our prayers. Of course, every cry for help will not always be answered in the way we desire, because we live in a fallen and sinful world, but God is always there for us in our times of trouble. And by faith in Him, we are overcomers, rising above our circumstances. 

Dear God. We thank You that You always hear our prayers. And whatever our circumstances we acknowledge that You have our interests at heart. We praise You today. Amen.

Disciples

Posted on by Adrian Clark

““Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.””
John 9:27-29 NLT

We pilgrims associate being a disciple with following Jesus, and this consists of two parts – our personal development to become more like Jesus through applying His teaching in our own lives, and by spreading the Good News about Him to all we meet, as the opportunities arise. But discipleship isn’t just restricted to following Jesus. It is possible to become a disciple of anyone who attracts us by their teaching and ways of life. In Jesus’ day many people became disciples of the Pharisees, following their rigid and unloving ways without question. And in turn, the Pharisees claimed to be disciples of Moses. However, Mr Blind-no-more had become a bit irritated by the Pharisees because they were determined to find some flaw that would enable them to reject his testimony. But he was having none of their nonsense and he accused them, perhaps sarcastically, of wanting to become disciples of Jesus, like he had become. The Pharisees’ response was astonishing – John recorded that “they cursed him”. Hardly the behaviour of people who claimed to be religious leaders and examples to the people.

The Pharisees in our verses today declared that they were disciples of Moses. We know much about Moses from the Old Testament accounts and he is thought to have written the first five books of the Bible, probably with the help of a scribe like Joshua. He was the only person who ever spoke to God face to face, and God’s teachings, messages and laws formed the basis of the Jewish faith. But unfortunately the Pharisees had turned this into a matter of following the letter of the Law rather than its intent. Moses wrote what God commanded in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”. But in common with many followers of religions, the Pharisees picked out the bits they liked and ignored what they didn’t. 

The Pharisees claimed that they didn’t know where Jesus had come from. With the benefit of hindsight we know of His origins today, and with a bit of effort, the Pharisees could have found out as well. But they weren’t interested. As far as they were concerned, Jesus was preaching a message that conflicted with their views. To accept that message would mean abandoning their way of life and take a leap of faith that was beyond their collective abilities or desires. 

We pilgrims are disciples of Jesus and we do our best to follow Him. But the road to our promised land is far from easy, and the teachings Jesus left us with us are seemingly impossible except for two factors. The Holy Spirit resides within each one of us and, as Jesus said in John 16:13, He will lead us into all truth, not just in the future but in the present as well. The second factor is God’s grace, always there when we stumble and fall. Being disciples in our own strength and coming up to God’s standard is well-nigh impossible, but with God and all His resources there to help us it becomes a joy. We don’t know what the future holds for us disciples but we journey on, following in the Master’s footsteps.

Disciples we are, and we obey the Master’s command to make disciples, as we read in Matthew 28, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Introducing another person to Jesus is a humbling privilege and one that causes great joy in Heaven.


Dear Lord Jesus, we are humbled by the awesome opportunity of being Your disciples. We pray for the strength to stay the course until we reached the goal all disciples strive for. In Your name we pray. Amen.

“Didn’t You Listen”

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?””
John 9:24-27 NLT

What made the Pharisees think that Jesus was a sinner? After all, how could the Son of God ever be accused of such a thing? The reason was that the Pharisees had their own definition about sin, and for them it was founded on the Law of Moses and their many Rabbinic rules and regulations, correct or otherwise, that they had derived from it. They didn’t like Jesus’ claim that He was the Son of God and therefore they accused Him of the sin of blasphemy. The problem for them, however, was His miraculous signs and wonders, and that His teaching that the only way to eternal life was through Him and not just by observing their laws. The last thing the Pharisees wanted was to lose their religious control over the people.

Mr Blind-no-more quite correctly pointed out to the Pharisees that their accusation of sin against Jesus was irrelevant. They had been told that the man was born blind, but could now see, and it was all because Jesus put mud on his eyes. The side issue of accusations of sin didn’t change the facts, although this introduced another problem for the Pharisees – how could someone who claimed to be God’s Son, and the Messiah who they had been waiting for, be a sinner? 

In desperation, the Pharisees asked Mr Blind-no-more a second time about what happened, just in case they found a new snippet of information that resolved their dilemma. But this time they received a tetchy response. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen?”.Unfortunately for them, the man then put his finger on the issue staring them in the face – if this healing happened as they had been told then they had no choice other than to acknowledge Jesus’ claim for who He was, and become His disciples. No human being could ever have healed a man born blind unless God was behind it. 

We pilgrims have seen the risen Lord, and believe in Him. We are His disciples but we remember the life-changing moment when we made that decision for Christ.  We weren’t anyone special. We weren’t religious leaders like the Pharisees. But regardless of the consequences, we took that step into the Kingdom of God, a place that, for many, is fraught with danger and difficulties. A new believer would perhaps be marginalised in their workplaces. Or in danger of attack from their neighbours who follow a different faith. A child of God pursues a path towards holiness and turns his or her back on the pleasures of sin. For many though, taking that leap of faith is too much and, like the rich man in the parable of the Rich Young Ruler, they walk away. It is their choice but God will never give up on loving people. His grace is available right up until the moment when they take their last breath. 

We don’t know if the Pharisees in our account of the blind man and his healing ever became believers in Jesus. We know of course about Nicodemus, from an earlier chapter in John’s Gospel. But neither do we know about those people today who stubbornly all their life have refused to accept Jesus’ gracious invitation to believe in Him. We don’t know what happened in those last moments of their life. I am always touched and greatly encouraged about the last moments of the thief on the cross. We read in Luke 23:40-43, “But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” We pilgrims must never give up on our friends and family. We don’t know what will happen in their last moments of life, and we pray for them in faith that God will answer our prayers.

Dear Father God. You are so patient and kind, loving us graciously as we thrash about ignoring or avoiding Your gaze. Please forgive us, we pray. Amen.

He Is Old Enough

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.””
John 9:18-23 NLT

How old is “old enough”? In orthodox Jewish practices, a boy reaches manhood at the age of 13, and a girl at the age of 12. We find Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12 – we read in Luke 2, “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. …. And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”” (Luke 2:42, 49). In Exodus 30:14, the age of 20 was proposed as the minimum age allowing someone to present a sacred offering. In modern UK society, there are various age restrictions. At 14, a teenager can get a part time job. At 16, they can claim benefits, drive a moped and order a passport. 17 is the age when a driving licence for a car can be obtained. At 18, alcohol can be purchased and you are allowed to vote or get married without a parent’s permission. At 21, all age restrictions are removed and adulthood is reached. But in all this, there is a big difference between what is permitted and what a young person is capable of. One thing there is no restriction on is the age when a child or adult can decide to follow Jesus. Many children make a decision for Christ in their primary years and set the scene for the rest of their lives from that point. 

In our account in John 9, the parents of Mr “Blind-no-more” failed to take any responsibility for their son’s healing and the events that followed. They gave the Pharisees the facts as they knew them, that their son had really been born blind, that they were not involved in his healing, and, they said to the Pharisees, “Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself”. This puts Mr “Blind-no-more” at least at an age of more than 13, but in reality the impression was that the man was a mature adult, who was forced to beg for a living. John also records that the parents of the man were afraid of being excluded from the synagogue, something that could have had a serious and detrimental effect on their ability to do business and be an effective member of that society. The Pharisees had one trump card in their hold over the people, and that was synagogue membership, and they leveraged this by saying that anyone who went on to believe in Jesus and affirm that He was the Messiah would be excommunicated. 

We pilgrims, like everyone else, are on a journey through life. However, we have one clear distinction over unbelievers, in that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are God’s children, and can enjoy all the benefits that Kingdom membership brings. God has children of all ages, and no-one is excluded because they aren’t old enough. In Matthew 19:13-14 we read, “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children””. There has always been a special place in God’s heart for children. Anyone who is old enough to understand about Jesus and what He did for us can decide to follow Him, and there is no fear of being rejected at the foot of the Cross because of age. God will never turn away a repentant sinner, regardless of how old they are. 

Father God. We thank You for the Gospel and how it includes everyone regardless of age, race, skin colour, and ability. Whatever our age was when we came to believe in Jesus, we know that You never rejected us. Thank You. Amen.

“Blind-No-More”

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.”
John 9:13-16 NLT

We don’t know how many Pharisees were present when the man who had been blind was brought before them. We don’t know his name and for centuries he has only been identified by his healing, not by who he really was. In Old Testament times names were often granted to children to mark an occasion or message appropriate to what was happening at the time. In Hosea 1 we read of children being born to Gomer being assigned names as part of Hosea’s prophetic message to his fellow people. Names such as “Not-loved” and “Not-my-people”. In times nearer our own we have seen names granted for a profession, such as “Lamb” for a butcher or “Gardener” for someone who has that job. So perhaps the new name for the man at the centre of this account should be “Blind-no-more”. But whatever we call him, the people, his friends and neighbours, were so confused that they took him to the Pharisees, especially because they were very sensitive to anything that might be construed as working on the Sabbath day. That spitting on the ground and making a little mud ointment should be classed as “work” is perhaps an indication of the hold the Pharisees had over the general population. 

Mr “Blind-no-more” must have been getting fed up with repeatedly having to tell people what had happened to him, even those who had previously heard his account. This act of healing by a Man who preached a message counter to that of the Pharisees had introduced so much confusion amongst them that we are told there was “a deep division of opinion”. 

We pilgrims have read this account of the miraculous healing so many times that we are in danger of becoming desensitised to the wonder of it. This was really a big deal, because someone who was born blind not only lacked functioning eyes but also they lacked that part of the brain that processes the visual images into a form where they could be understood. At an early age a child starts to see the world around him and their brain develops with the need to interpret what they see. And then think about the connection between different parts of the brain – consider what is involved in seeing a ball coming towards us and having the eye/hand co-ordination to catch it. Perhaps healing the blind man’s eyes was only a part of the miracle that happened to him that day. And so we stand in Mr Blind-no-more’s shoes and try and imagine how he felt. John’s account was a dispassionate précis of what had happened, factually correct, but I imagine Mr Blind-no-more was euphoric, excited and rushing around telling everyone what had happened to him. He wasn’t concerned that this had happened on the Sabbath day. Neither was he concerned about what other people were saying about it. As far as he was concerned, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” And so we take a step back, looking on at the scene that was unfolding before us, marvelling at God’s power, grace, compassion and love.

Dear Lord Jesus. We read that this miraculous healing took place so that the power of God could be seen in the blind man. And we indeed give God all the glory for this, and the many other occasions when You Brough healing to a lost and hopeless people. Thank You for Your love and compassion. Amen.

Eye Contact

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbours and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?””
John 9:7-10 NLT

A blind person has many disadvantages and amongst them is the lack of ability in making eye contact with someone they are conversing with. For those of us with normal sight, eye contact is something we take for granted, not always appreciating how important it is when we interact with someone. We receive non-verbal feedback, helping us to understand what is being said. Maintaining eye contact demonstrates confidence, giving weight to what we are saying. So often we look into another person’s eyes and it is as though we are looking into their very souls. But a blind person cannot achieve the same results in a conversation unless they learn to compensate in some other way.

Our eyes are a primary source of information, feeding our minds with all that we see. Jesus said, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is” (Matthew 6:22-23). We need to process all that comes in through our eyes in a healthy way, discerning what is bad for us so that we can filter it out and leave the good. Eyes that focus on sinful images will end up darkening our souls and shutting out the good things we need to focus on.

A blind person in many ways is unable to allow bad things to enter their eye gate. They can’t watch pornography, or movies that are unwholesome. But their lives are the poorer for being unable to see the good things in life. A sunrise or sunset. The wonderful beauty of flowers in Spring. God created us to have eyes that see all that He has made. 

In the account of the blind man, the man’s neighbours were finding it hard to recognise him, because he was now engaging them with his eyes. Whereas before he looked anywhere except at them, he was now focusing on their faces and this new ability transformed him so much that his neighbours were having difficulty recognising him.

God sees all and we cannot escape his gaze. He sees right into our souls, knowing every detail of our lives. And we can look into His face, in faith that the contact through our eyes is a part of our communication with Him. John’s spiritual eyes saw amazing scenes in Heaven, as we read in Revelation. And we too can enjoy a glimpse of Heavenly realms, through the reading of Scripture. Unless our eyes read the Bible we will learn nothing about God and His ways. And in faith we pray, “seeing” with our eyes the positive outcome of our prayers. But in our spirits what are we seeing today? If very little we lift up our eyes and make eye contact with our Heavenly Father. There we will find all we need to see.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all Your good gifts, all Your answers to our prayers, and for Jesus, our wonderful and gracious Saviour. Amen.