Jesus — Man Born Blind - Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 9:20-22
His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) (ESV)
If you haven’t read CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, I highly recommend it. The story is written from the perspective of a senior demon named Screwtape who instructs his nephew on how to subtly lead humans away from God. The most fascinating insight that plays out is that Screwtape’s “best work,” as he explains, isn’t always about filling people’s minds with lies; it’s keeping them from acting on the truth they already know. Here’s an excerpt:
“The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance.... Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will.”
-C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Letter 13
To get us to water down Jesus’ work in our life, we oftentimes don’t need to buy into lies; the truth just has to seem costly.
Picking up the story of the blind man in John 9, the Pharisees aren’t satisfied with his testimony, so they bring in his parents, and his parents bring fear into the mix. His parents know the truth; they even confirm that he is their son and that he was born blind. But when it comes to talking about who healed their son, they back away. Not because they doubt what happened, but because there is a cost to saying His name out loud. As verse 20 says, confessing that Jesus had healed their son would mean being put out of the synagogue. They’d lose their stability, their community, and their belonging. So they choose safety: “Ask him, he is of age.”
This contrast is all throughout John 9. The people who should be the most supportive are the ones most concerned with what THEY might lose. Meanwhile, the man who has the least of all becomes the boldest voice.
When the Pharisees pressure him to recant, to soften his story, to agree that Jesus must be a sinner, he doesn’t try to win the argument or claim to know or even understand everything. He just refuses to deny what happened: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25 ESV).
We see the blind man losing favor (if he had any) with the religious leaders by stating the truth. He even loses what he may have deeply wanted forever — belonging at the temple that he was forced to beg outside of — but he does so unflinchingly. And for the better, because he gains Jesus in just a few more verses, which we will wrap up tomorrow.
Following Jesus will always cost something. The question isn’t if, but rather what, and whether we’re willing to pay it.
APPLICATION
Where are you tempted to stay quiet about your faith to protect comfort or approval? Read Acts 4:1-31 as an encouragement to be bold in your faith.
PRAYER
Pray that Jesus makes you brave when following Him feels risky or dangerous. Ask for the strength to speak the truth and live faithfully even when it costs something.
