In John Chapter 9, Jesus opens the eyes of a man born blind. The Pharisees hate this, because they're trying to build a case against Jesus, and this was clearly a miracle. They do everything they can to cast doubt that Jesus, in fact, gave sight to a man born blind, but the facts are irrefutable. The man's parents were brought in, and confessed just enough to not get thrown out of the synagogue (the Pharisees said anyone who confessed Jesus as Messiah would be stopped from worshipping with everyone else).
No matter how they spinned it, Jesus' miracle could not be denied. So what did they do? They called Jesus a sinner, without much proof; they hated his message, it wasn't in line with their traditions (though the Scriptures confess over and over about Jesus), and He wasn't the Messiah they wanted. The one whose eyes were opened, though, was sold out for Jesus. He didn't care what was done, and even challenged the Pharisees. He was whole for the first time in his life, and he could not deny what had been done to him. His eyes had been opened, but his faith was in full swing.
How often are we like the Pharisees, denying the work of God because it does not align with our view of how things should be? How often do we deny the works of Jesus, but fiercely defend our traditions. Jesus desires our faith, and faith opens our eyes. Strict adherence to man-made tradition closes our eyes to faith. And Faithlessness blinds the religious, while faith opens the eyes of the blind. John 9:24-41 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains."
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