5/28/11 John 9:39-41 Christ the blinding light

³⁹ Jesus said,“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains

(Jesus Christ the blinding light)

Thoughts: Jesus came to change things for the better.  The status quo, the definition of what is normal and proper, was changing.  The proud would need to be humbled.  The humble would be lifted up (Mary's song Lk. 1).  Those who would save their lives would lose them.  Those who would lose them for the Gospel would save them.  Those who mourned would be comforted, while those who were comfortable would be mourning.  Those who were comfortable with this life would find discomfort in the face of Christ.  Those who thought they knew it all- had it all together, who thought they saw clearly (the Pharisees) would be told they did not know- they were blind.  To seek God, we must humble ourselves.

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to humble myself before you. 



John Calvin Abridged: Those who see are made blind by the light of the world.  Thsi sounds unreasonable. The blindness does not proceed from Christ but from human fault. There is nothing the reprobate want more than to extinguish the light.  The eyes of their mind, which are diseased through malice and depravity, are dazzled by the light which is exhibited to them.  Unbelievers, though they are blind, think that their sight is uncommonly acute and powerful; and elated by this confidence,
they do not try listen to God.  We are all born blind, but some spark continues in the darkness that distinguishes us from brute beasts.  A person who is confident in their own opinion may seem wise, but when the light of the wisdom of Christ shines on them, their blindness is evident.