John 9:35-41: a reflection

35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” 40Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

When the man born blind, whom Jesus had healed, is cast out for confessing him, Jesus seeks him out, reveals himself, and receives his faith and worship, giving true sight to one who knew his need. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, the account says, and finding him, he said, do you believe in the Son of God? The man had been given his sight, then thrown out by the religious leaders for confessing Jesus. But Jesus does not leave him rejected and alone; he seeks him out, finds him, reveals himself to him as the Son of God, and the man believes and worships. Jesus sought out the one cast out for his sake, and gave him not only physical sight but the true sight of faith. Meanwhile, those who claimed to see remained blind. This shows Christ seeking out the rejected and giving true sight to those who know their need. Christ seeks out the one cast out for his sake and gives true sight. Christ finds and receives those rejected for following him. He gives true sight to those who know their need, while the self-assured remain blind. Christ does not leave rejected for his sake alone.

Notice Christ's initiative toward the rejected man. The man born blind had received his sight from Jesus, and then, when he confessed Jesus before the religious leaders, had been cast out, rejected, put out of the synagogue for Jesus' sake. He was left rejected and alone. But Jesus does not leave him so. Hearing that he had been cast out, Jesus seeks him out, finds him, and reveals himself: do you believe in the Son of God? You have seen him; it is he who speaks with you. And the man, given now the true sight of faith, believes and worships. And Jesus adds a word about sight and blindness: he came so that those who do not see may see, and those who claim to see may become blind, for the self-assured who claim to see, but do not know their need, remain in their sin. This holds both comfort and warning. The comfort: Christ seeks out those who are rejected for his sake, does not leave them alone, but finds them and gives them the true sight of faith. Those who suffer rejection for following Christ are not abandoned; he comes to them. And the warning: it is those who know their need, their blindness, who receive sight from Christ, while those who are self-assured, who claim to see and think they need nothing, remain blind. We do well to know our need and receive true sight from Christ, and to trust that he seeks out those rejected for his sake. Christ seeks out those rejected for his sake and gives them true sight. Know your need, and receive sight from Christ, rather than claiming to see. If you are rejected for following Christ, know that he does not abandon you. The self-assured who claim to see remain blind; the needy receive sight.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ seeks out the rejected and gives true sight to those who know their need, while the self-assured remain blind, as he found the cast-out man and revealed himself. We can be rejected for following Christ, or think ourselves to see and need nothing; but Christ sought out the one cast out and gave him the sight of faith, while the self-assured stayed blind. Know your need. If you are rejected for Christ's sake, trust that he seeks you out; and do not claim to see, but know your need, and receive true sight from him. Know your need and receive true sight from Christ, who seeks out those rejected for his sake and does not abandon them, while the self-assured who claim to see remain blind, as when the man born blind whom Jesus had healed was cast out for confessing him, Jesus sought him out, revealed himself, and received his faith and worship, giving true sight to one who knew his need, since Jesus heard that they had thrown him out and, finding him, asked whether he believed in the Son of God; for the man had been given his sight and then thrown out by the religious leaders for confessing Jesus, but Jesus does not leave him rejected and alone but seeks him out, finds him, reveals himself as the Son of God, and the man believes and worships, so that Jesus sought out the one cast out for his sake and gave him not only physical sight but the true sight of faith, while those who claimed to see remained blind, which holds both comfort and warning, the comfort that Christ seeks out those rejected for his sake and does not leave them alone but finds them and gives them the true sight of faith, and the warning that it is those who know their need and blindness who receive sight from Christ while those who are self-assured and claim to see and think they need nothing remain blind, so that we do well to know our need and receive true sight from Christ and to trust that he seeks out those rejected for his sake.

Lord Jesus, when the man born blind, whom you had healed, is cast out for confessing you, you seek him out, reveal yourself, and receive his faith and worship, giving true sight to one who knew his need. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, the account says, and finding him, he said, do you believe in the Son of God? The man had been given his sight, then thrown out by the religious leaders for confessing you. But you do not leave him rejected and alone; you seek him out, find him, reveal yourself to him as the Son of God, and the man believes and worships. You sought out the one cast out for your sake, and gave him not only physical sight but the true sight of faith. Meanwhile, those who claimed to see remained blind. Show me your initiative toward the rejected man. He had received his sight from you, and then, when he confessed you before the religious leaders, had been cast out, rejected for your sake. He was left rejected and alone. But you do not leave him so. Hearing that he had been cast out, you seek him out, find him, and reveal yourself: do you believe in the Son of God? You have seen him; it is he who speaks with you. And the man, given now the true sight of faith, believes and worships. And you add a word about sight and blindness: you came so that those who do not see may see, and those who claim to see may become blind, for the self-assured who claim to see, but do not know their need, remain in their sin. This holds both comfort and warning. The comfort: you seek out those rejected for your sake, and give them the true sight of faith. The warning: it is those who know their need who receive sight from you, while the self-assured who claim to see remain blind. Take that to my heart. If I am rejected for following you, help me trust that you seek me out and do not abandon me; and keep me from claiming to see and thinking I need nothing. Help me know my need, Lord, and receive true sight from you, who give sight to those who know their blindness while the self-assured remain blind.