Some Prefer Blindness

We began this week’s theme of blindness with the healing of the man born blind. (see John 9.1-38) No matter how many times the man had given his witness to how Christ healed him, many refused to believe, even calling Christ evil because He healed on the Sabbath. The man’s parents and many in the crowd preferred to remain blind to God’s blessings rather than risk the secular comfort of their Roman society.

In today’s reading, again we find those who would prefer the secular comforts of Rome. (You can read the entire passage below) After witnessing, with their own eyes, the many miracles of Christ they asked, “What are we to do? For this man performs many sings. If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and destroy our place and our nation.” They began their plot to kill Jesus, rather than risk the secular comforts of their Roman society.

Today’s world is no less filled with those who would prefer blindness over seeing Christ. Many in our own churches are not willing to risk the secular comforts of American society, and choose rather to ignore their eyes to the blessings of God. There are many who would persecute Christ and His Church, rather than give up the sin in which they find themselves. Entire political movements today are designed, not merely to normalize sinful behavior, but to brand any opposing position as hateful and bigoted.

It has become hateful and bigoted in society to be opposed to sin. It has become progressive and enlightened to ignore the Gospel. Some just prefer blindness.

At that time, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples. – John 11.47-54