Psalm of Praise: Psalms 40:4-5
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud or to those who worship false gods.
Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you.
If I were to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.
Bible Reading: John 9:35-41
Jesus said to the man, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world,
so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin;
but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
A Reflection:
The blind man whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath has returned to his home where he and his parents have been hassled by the Pharisees and Jewish authorities as to the credibility of Jesus. When Jesus heard about this he went to encourage the man and provide a bit of follow-up.
Jesus’ question to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ picks up on a phrase found in the book of Daniel and referring to the coming Messiah. It is a term that reflects his humanity, as alongside to the term ‘Son of God’ which reflects his divinity. This question resonated with the experience of a man who had been blind for the whole of his life until he met Jesus.
I love the journey that this man is on with Jesus. It started an encounter which led to a conversation. This led to the man finding faith in Jesus and this led to him to worshipping Jesus.
For all of us there is probably some event or experience that started us thinking about God and a series of conversations that helped us on our Christian journey. Asking questions encourages others to share their thoughts and could open doors for you to share yours.
I wonder what questions you might ask to start a conversation about Christianity with someone who doesn’t share your faith. Maybe just a simple question like, ‘Do you ever think about God? ’or ‘Do you believe in a Creator God?
But not everyone looking at the same event draws the same conclusions. While the blind man was healed and gained his sight, both physically and spiritually, the Pharisees saw the same healing but turned against Jesus and remained in spiritual darkness.
Pray:
Thank you, Lord, for everyone who has helped me to see spiritually.
Give me the grace to help others to see you.
Amen
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
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