Seeking the outcast..

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. John 9:35 -38

These verses from John’s gospel tell the story of the man who had been blind from birth but was miraculously healed by Jesus. This poor man who had lived his life until this moment in complete darkness, not able to see anything of the world around him, was given the gift of sight.

This is the miracle that this man could probably never have imagined being possible. It was unthinkable, he received his sight. Not his sight back as he had never seen before, but the ability to see what was previously hidden from him.

The greatest and happiest day of his life then becomes one of rejection.

The religious leaders of the day who are offended by his healing on a Sabbath question him about Jesus. When he does not answer in the way they want then they cruelly excommunicate him from the temple. This is a terrible thing to do in the Jewish society of the day. He is now an outcast.

This story of rejection after encountering Jesus may be one that is familiar to you from your own experiences. If so, then I hope these verses bring encouragement and hope to you.

This man’s story doesn’t end in rejection as we see from the verses. Jesus hears what has happened and actively seeks him out until He finds Him. Jesus shows such compassion and concern for this man that He actively looks for him until He finds him. Jesus does not reject him. This is such a beautiful picture to me. Jesus cares.

Jesus came to seek the lost and this is what He does for this man. This man had regained his physical sight but then lost His place to worship God in the Synagogue. Jesus comes and seeks him out to now give Him spiritual sight and show the truth about who Jesus is. Jesus reveals Himself..the Son of God.

Physical blindness must be terrible but spiritual blindness is even worse. Jesus wants this man to see the truth about who He is. Jesus introduces this man to the Son of God. He gives this man the opportunity to believe in Him. This man wants to believe and confesses his faith in Jesus. He then worships Jesus as God as he is now able to worship God in Spirit and in truth because of Christ.

This man was given his physical sight but then was given His spiritual sight which is the most precious gift of all. The tragedy is that those in the temple who had cast him out were still spiritually blind to the truth. They did not see Jesus for who He truly was. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Our prayer today: from Ephesians 1 that we may know Christ and our understanding of Him is enlightened.

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in”