We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. (John 9.31) Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains" (John 9.41)
Please read the entire chapter 9 of the Gospel of John for context.
Chapter 9 of the Gospel of John is about a blind man who was healed by Jesus on a Sabbath. This act of Jesus stirred up a controversy over sin and its physical signs. Being blind meant that the person had sinned. Or someone in that person’s ancestry must have sinned (9.2-3). Jesus challenged the views of the establishment and presented a view that is perhaps very difficult for us to understand. What is that view?
Isn’t it true that when we pray and feel that we are bonding with God, we tend to believe very strongly in the first verse quoted above? This is what the Pharisees also believed in very strongly! Interestingly, today in the context of Pakistan, the religious people promising a return to the values of their religious system also have similarly strong belief. This begs me to conclude, that, no matter Jew, Christian or Muslim, every person who estimates his/her relationship as strong with God, tends to fall for the arrogance of thinking to know what God wants!
But Christ has a different perspective! Christ is very clear and swift to point out that those who have the arrogance to think that they "see" what God wants, are the ones whose sin remains! What are we to make of that? I feel that Christ wishes us to accept our inadequacies as humans. We need to accept that we are blind. That it is only the Amazing Grace that saves us, and makes us ‘ see ‘ (John 9.25) And that sight is only there when we continue to accept our blindness! And in so doing, accept the amazing perpetual work of God’s Grace!
May God continue to bless us!
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