"Seeing Without Understanding"
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9 : 1 – 2 ESV) What a thing to ask. Whose sin is the poor blind man paying for? Jesus’ healing gave an eye-opening answer to it. He chose neither option presented by his disciples’ insensitive multiple-choice question. “It was not |
that this man sinned, or his parents,” Jesus said, “but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9 : 3).
Before Him Jesus saw a man who needed help. A man in need of love, compassion, and healing. The disciples, on the other hand, saw this poor man as nothing more than a theological issue to be debated. Keep in mind, the man was standing right there where he could hear them. He was blind, not deaf!
The disciples could see, but they did not understand.
One of the reasons we sometimes do not recognize God at work is that we permit narrow thinking to block our understanding of how He works. Instead of being receptive to what God is doing in real time, we too often focus on those few things that matter to us.
For example, instead of trying to understand how an extended family member or fellow church member is hurting, or crying out for help, all you can see is how selfish they are or how stubborn they are being. You are not curious to discover what lies behind their unpleasant words and behaviors. You are not patient enough to listen and then communicate how God has helped you with certain problems.
The answer to achieving a better understanding, of course, is to permit God to open your mind to what He is doing. Stop drawing ultimate conclusions from the first thing you see. Do not just observe people objectively from a distance but get to know them and see how God may be working in their lives by using you.
Do you wish to see the work of God today, celebrating, experiencing, and being prayerfully involved in it? Then never be so locked in on a few things that you miss seeing the bigger things. Never be so insistent on being right that you fail to notice where God is being God.
Because He Lives,
Pastor Dave
dmagee@dbicc.org
Before Him Jesus saw a man who needed help. A man in need of love, compassion, and healing. The disciples, on the other hand, saw this poor man as nothing more than a theological issue to be debated. Keep in mind, the man was standing right there where he could hear them. He was blind, not deaf!
The disciples could see, but they did not understand.
One of the reasons we sometimes do not recognize God at work is that we permit narrow thinking to block our understanding of how He works. Instead of being receptive to what God is doing in real time, we too often focus on those few things that matter to us.
For example, instead of trying to understand how an extended family member or fellow church member is hurting, or crying out for help, all you can see is how selfish they are or how stubborn they are being. You are not curious to discover what lies behind their unpleasant words and behaviors. You are not patient enough to listen and then communicate how God has helped you with certain problems.
The answer to achieving a better understanding, of course, is to permit God to open your mind to what He is doing. Stop drawing ultimate conclusions from the first thing you see. Do not just observe people objectively from a distance but get to know them and see how God may be working in their lives by using you.
Do you wish to see the work of God today, celebrating, experiencing, and being prayerfully involved in it? Then never be so locked in on a few things that you miss seeing the bigger things. Never be so insistent on being right that you fail to notice where God is being God.
Because He Lives,
Pastor Dave
dmagee@dbicc.org