Luke 4:18 -“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…”NKJV
When we were kids, we would play games where we pretended that we were blind. Today, I realize how terribly insensitive that game was, but at that time, we thought we were having fun. There is nothing entertaining about making fun of the disabilities of others, and I am embarrassed to realize that I didn’t always think this way. While we were pretending to be blind, we were actually walking in blindness to the pain and thoughtlessness that this game could have caused those who were visually impaired. Thank God we grew out of that!
The ministry of Jesus is an all encompassing ministry. When He read these words in Luke, He proclaimed that He had come to meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of mankind. Nothing was irrelevant or umimportant, and nothing was to be ignored. He had come for His people.
Today, I am blogging about Jesus’ ministry that deals with “recovery of sight to the blind”. The Bible makes us aware of both spiritual and physical blindness. In my earlier example, I was blind and didn’t know it, and there are many today, who are walking around blind and are unaware of it.
One of my favorite miracles in the Bible happened in the book of John chapter 9. This was the miracle that brought down the wrath of the Pharisees. (As if they had any real power). The healing of the man born blind. Now, the Pharisees were already too outdone with Jesus, but for some reason, this sent them over the top!
Jesus passed by a man that had come into the world blind. His disciples took this opportunity to ask the Master, who did sin, the man or his parents? Well, since he was born blind, we can definitely rule the man out, he didn’t have a chance to commit any sin to bring a loss of his sight. As for the parents, Jesus said it wasn’t them either. But He did acknowledge that this blindness would allow Him, Jesus, to manifest God to the man.
Every aspect of Jesus’ ministry was not only people oriented, but it was to fulfill the purposes of God. Ministry isn’t about getting us a name, or building us a reputation, or even a legacy; but for the glory of God. I’ve read many books of the men and women, God used to display His power. Most of them eventually came to a place where they acted as if it was their power flowing. Not so! That’s for another blog, but the point is, it is never about us!
Jesus directed His disciples to the truth that what they were getting ready to witness, was about glorifying God, fulfilling His work! Every salvation, every deliverance, every healing, every comforted soul, is for His glory!
Jesus then made clay with His saliva, anointed the man’s eyes, and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. When he came back from the pool, the man could see. This was such a big deal, and such a notable miracle, that it got people to talking. Now here’s why I love it so much!!
The man began to testify. He shared it with his neighbors and all who would listen. Even in the synagogue. And when they refused to accept his testimony, he just kept telling them what happened, and defending Jesus, even at the threat of being excommunicated. Nothing else mattered after Jesus gave him sight, but the fact that he could now see. Love it!
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25 -NKJV
Then there was Bartimaeus! We still call him Blind Bartimaeus, but he didn’t remain blind. For when he cried out to Jesus, His sight was restored. Jesus healed physical blindness on several occasions. As He ministered restoring of sight, He dealt with their poverty. Those who were blind, were definitely amongst the poor. They were generally beggars. Even the man in John 9 was a beggar. He had a family. Both parents were alive (we know this because the Pharisees sent for them); and yet, he was begging. When Bartimaeus threw away his beggar clothes to go to Jesus, he threw away his past and embraced his future!
Spiritual blindness is just as confining as physical blindness, and can cause a spiritual poverty in the lives of those who experience it. But spiritual blindness can be more costly because it can lead to spiritual death.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. NKJV
Paul wrote that the devil has blinded the minds of people throughout the ages, causing the gospel message to be hidden from them. I thank God, that I can say like the man in John 9, I once was blind but now I see! Those blinders have thankfully been removed! But if they remain, you are in danger of experiencing eternal death.
Jesus said it like this:
So that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’ ”. Mark 4:12 – NKJV
Not a case of physical blindness, but a worst case of physical sight and not perceiving that you are blind to the more critical things that you really need to see.
One type of blindness we may all need to have our sight restored from, on occasion, is deception. James wrote:
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. James 1:16 – NKJV
Yet, how often do we find ourselves deceived. We think we right, when we are wrong! That’s deception. We think someone has done something to us and they aren’t even aware there is a problem. Deception! We get so caught up in ourselves, that we allow the deceiver, to cause us to become deceived. Worst then being deceived, is when we deceive ourselves.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. James 1:22-24 – NKJV
Jesus, the Living Word, can help us to see more clearly. Reading the logos of the word, can help us to understand better. Obeying God’s word, over all else, is the wisest way to be kept from deception.
If we are not careful, we can live with blinders over our eyes and around our mind. Blinders to the full gospel. Blinders to our personal weaknesses. Blinders to relationships that suck the life out of us. Blinders, blinders, and more blinders!
Jesus came to give recovery of sight to the blind. Whether we suffer from physical or spiritual blindness, He is the cure! Notice I didn’t say that He has the cure! He is the cure! Reach out in faith today to have your sight restored! Wonderful Jesus!
