Day 296, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): John 7:53–9:41
Spiritual Blindness
Most people are familiar with the picture of the three monkeys. In this picture, the boys express the same thing. They see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. While we laugh, others prefer to do this with spiritual truth—they refuse to see it, listen to it, or talk about it. They are spiritually blind.
Meaning
Spiritual blindness means to be void of all spiritual discernment. All human beings are born this way (see Romans 3:23). We need the Holy Spirit of God to enlighten us (John 6:44). Enlightenment happens when we hear the good news of Jesus Christ—he opens our understanding to believe his message of salvation. Then the scales of spiritual darkness fall from our eyes.
Some people, however, prefer to shield themselves from light and remain in darkness. As people pull down the shades in their bedroom or other rooms, many people pull down the shades in their minds and hearts. They are spiritually and willfully blind, so they do not want to see the truth. What are some proofs of spiritual blindness?
Proofs
Pointing a finger of blame at someone else casts attention off ourselves. Remember being told as a child, “when we point the finger at someone, there are four other fingers on our hand, pointing back to us?” This is well-illustrated in today’s Bible reading.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day caught a woman in adultery. They know that Jesus makes friends with tax collectors and sinners. They bring her to him to test him. They want to see if Jesus will keep the law of Moses by demanding that she be stoned, or if he will show mercy and violate the law.
Jesus kneels down and writes in the dirt, seeming to ignore them. When the religious leaders repeat the accusation, Jesus gets up and tells them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” then he resumes writing on the ground. One by one, beginning with the eldest, they leave the woman.
Jesus has mercy on the woman; he does not condemn her. Jesus tells her to go and sin no more (John 8:3-11).
Another evidence of spiritual blindness is arguing with God’s truth and using our own standards for what is right and wrong. We may have heard these philosophical statements:
- “Truth is relative.”
- “What is right for you may be right for you, but it may not be right for me.” People use these excuses when they don’t want you to tell them about your spiritual beliefs. It sounds tolerant, doesn’t it?
So, is every religion true? Jesus, God’s Son, said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me (John 14:6). Unless you repent, you, too, will perish (Luke 13:3,5). If that is actually true, it doesn’t matter if someone else doesn’t think it is right for them or that truth is relative.
- “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.”
Do we know people committed to their beliefs, but entirely wrong? Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were sincere. Were they right to commit all those atrocities? Can religions that contradict each other be right? If some advocate violence, are they right because they seem genuine? Where is the truth? The truth is found in Christ, but not all people accept that.
Shifting the attention off of ourselves is also a sign of spiritual blindness. A person may say, “I don’t want to become a Christian. Christians are hypocrites!” Granted, some are, but not all. Some of God’s children are more obedient than others, but we can be cleansed by Christ as we daily confess our sins.
Still, another evidence of spiritual blindness is pride. This is also illustrated in today's Bible reading. Immediately after an argument with the Pharisees (religious leaders) about spiritual blindness, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. Following this, Jesus says,
“For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:39-41, NIV).
The Pharisees proudly proclaimed that they have spiritual discernment, but they were self-deceived. They had not humbled themselves to receive the Word of God, which can save their souls.
Their problem of pride is similar to others and is often expressed this way: “You don’t know who you are talking to. I am ____________________________________. I give a lot of money to charities. I volunteer my time. I am a good person.” The fact is “there is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10, NIV). God is the only one who can make a person righteous. This righteousness is obtained by believing in the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross of Calvary.
The answer for spiritual blindness
Jesus is the answer to those who are spiritually blind. The Apostle John said of the Lord,
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it…. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own [a reference to the Jewish people], but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:4-5, 9-12, NIV).
Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, NIV).
Discussion
What is spiritual blindness, and what are some excuses people use for not coming to Christ to be healed?
