Minds Made Up
The apostle John’s gospel records this incident between a man whom Jesus healed of blindness and the Pharisees.
John records,
“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,’” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.” John 9:13-34.
I believe it was clear here that no matter what Jesus did to prove He was from God the Pharisees would not acknowledge that He was from God. John notes,
“...Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.”
Here Jesus had done not just a good work, but performed a great miracle, he had given a man born blind his sight. Yet the Pharisees refuse to acknowledge that it was from God.
They say to the man,
“We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
To which the man replies,
“The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Unhappy with the man’s reply the Pharisees accused him of being a sinner and threw him out of their presence.
The Jewish leaders like many today who are confronted with Jesus were playing politics. They were set in their ways. They were convinced that they were right in all their beliefs and practices. Anyone contradicting them was seen as a threat to them.
Thus when a person presents to them the facts about Jesus, as in the case of the blind man, they accuse the person of lying, ridicule them, and dismiss the person from their presence. Having nothing more to do with them.
The fact however remains Jesus speaking to His disciples said,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
On another occasion Jesus speaking of His relationship to God the Father states,
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
If what Jesus said about himself is untrue then those who do not believe in Him have nothing to fear. If on the other hand it is true then anyone presented with Jesus has at the very least, a lot to think about.
As C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
Please think about it.
The apostle John’s gospel records this incident between a man whom Jesus healed of blindness and the Pharisees.
John records,
“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,’” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.” John 9:13-34.
I believe it was clear here that no matter what Jesus did to prove He was from God the Pharisees would not acknowledge that He was from God. John notes,
“...Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.”
Here Jesus had done not just a good work, but performed a great miracle, he had given a man born blind his sight. Yet the Pharisees refuse to acknowledge that it was from God.
They say to the man,
“We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
To which the man replies,
“The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Unhappy with the man’s reply the Pharisees accused him of being a sinner and threw him out of their presence.
The Jewish leaders like many today who are confronted with Jesus were playing politics. They were set in their ways. They were convinced that they were right in all their beliefs and practices. Anyone contradicting them was seen as a threat to them.
Thus when a person presents to them the facts about Jesus, as in the case of the blind man, they accuse the person of lying, ridicule them, and dismiss the person from their presence. Having nothing more to do with them.
The fact however remains Jesus speaking to His disciples said,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
On another occasion Jesus speaking of His relationship to God the Father states,
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
If what Jesus said about himself is untrue then those who do not believe in Him have nothing to fear. If on the other hand it is true then anyone presented with Jesus has at the very least, a lot to think about.
As C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
Please think about it.
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