No-body has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. John 9:32
It seems people had been cured of blindness which was caused by disease but not those who were born blind. The man who was healed appears to be a “local” as it wasn’t long until his parents were summoned before the Pharisees to confirm the healing. Yet even in the face of overwhelming evidence the Pharisees would not believe.
Believing the man had been healed would mean the Pharisees would have to change their minds about Jesus. And believing in Jesus would mean the Pharisees whole social structure would have to change. They could no longer oppress the poor, no longer gain approval for their shallow devotion, no longer put on a show of religiosity, no longer gain financial advantage over others by charging exorbitant prices for temple sacrifices and no longer nullify God’s laws by their own traditions.
It would have been a huge reversal for the Pharisees to start acting for the common good rather than lining their own pockets with fame and fortune. The Pharisees realized that Jesus was not just about healing a few sick people. Jesus came to challenge their very life style. He came to rearrange their priorities and give them compassion for the poor. Yet they were unwilling.
May we be open not only to Jesus’ healing ways but also to his challenges to our live styles, to our priorities and to the concerns of his heart.
