Amazing Grace
Imagine for a moment if you were born blind from birth
and suddenly one day your blindness was healed and you could see again for the
first time, how would you feel? Chapter 9 of John’s Gospel recorded exactly
this event where a blind man from birth was one day healed by Jesus and the
blind man could see again for the first time.
There were many commotions took place because of this. Some were curious saying that this man was not the beggar and not the blind man they knew – “he is an imposter”. If this blind man is who he is, then how could he see again, who healed him? The blind man was then brought to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, whom started to interrogate him about his “mysterious” healing. The crowd and religious leaders did not believe his story – they did not believe the fact that healing miracle had taken place upon this blind man and the fact Jesus did it. Furthermore, the Pharisees brought forward the blind man’s parents to continue with the interrogation and to confirm if this blind man is their son. The parents did admit that the blind man was their son but they were not willing to stand up for him. The parents were in fact afraid of the religious leaders instead of rejoicing with their son for he could now see because of Jesus. They were afraid of being excommunicated from the synagogue and this is a price that they were not willing to pay. So, they asked the religious leaders to ask their son themselves. The blind man is pretty much left alone in this ordeal for something that is supposedly a joyful moment. No songs of joy, no jumping joy, no joyful tears, no congratulations, no big hug and instead interrogation after interrogation, cynicism after cynicism followed by fear.
Yet, the blind man stood firm of what he had
experienced – “I was blind but now I see and Jesus healed me
and nothing could change that.” His answers from the beginning until the end
were consistent namely “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” No matter what he would not
change his testimony. Indeed, he was finally cast out. Was he sad? Maybe yes,
maybe no – who knows, but one thing for sure he was blind but now see and Jesus
did it. Surely, he will perceive this as something great that has ever happened
in his life and it is incomparable.
During this time, Jesus appeared again in his life and straight away challenged him to start seeing beyond his physical eyes that was to look upon Jesus himself, and using his spiritual eyes to see that Jesus is in fact God himself – only God himself could heal his blindness. The blind man’s faith was challenged that is to move from not knowing who Jesus was until he declared "Lord, I believe" and worshipped him. This may also be a challenge for us too today. Have we seen beyond our physical eyes and start using our spiritual eyes to see who Jesus is and eventually declare "Lord, I believe" and "worship" him?
Some may say because Jesus performed the healing miracle upon the blind man therefore it is not a surprise that he would believe Jesus. Is that so? In Jesus’ time, many had seen how Jesus performed miracle after miracle but not all believe him; in fact he was put to death on the cross in the end. In other words, miracle itself cannot always be a guarantee that one will believe in Jesus. A man’s faith should not be based on the miracle alone rather the miracle itself is just a platform that should lead a man to the One who is able to allow the miracle itself to take place that is God himself.
I salute the integrity of this blind man amid facing the un-welcoming circumstances instigated by the crowd, religious leaders and his own parents; he was perceived as lowly by the world yet God saw something beautiful in him in which he experienced God's amazing grace through Jesus Christ and through this ordeal God alone is glorified. Not only his physical eyes were healed but more importantly his soul/spirit was healed through Jesus.
The blind man was not only seeing the world for the first time but more importantly he encountered Jesus and his soul was saved. The blind man consistency and courage to stand firm in his testimony are something that is worth to follow as I continue to follow Jesus as my Lord and Saviour for He is the Christ.
During this time, Jesus appeared again in his life and straight away challenged him to start seeing beyond his physical eyes that was to look upon Jesus himself, and using his spiritual eyes to see that Jesus is in fact God himself – only God himself could heal his blindness. The blind man’s faith was challenged that is to move from not knowing who Jesus was until he declared "Lord, I believe" and worshipped him. This may also be a challenge for us too today. Have we seen beyond our physical eyes and start using our spiritual eyes to see who Jesus is and eventually declare "Lord, I believe" and "worship" him?
Some may say because Jesus performed the healing miracle upon the blind man therefore it is not a surprise that he would believe Jesus. Is that so? In Jesus’ time, many had seen how Jesus performed miracle after miracle but not all believe him; in fact he was put to death on the cross in the end. In other words, miracle itself cannot always be a guarantee that one will believe in Jesus. A man’s faith should not be based on the miracle alone rather the miracle itself is just a platform that should lead a man to the One who is able to allow the miracle itself to take place that is God himself.
I salute the integrity of this blind man amid facing the un-welcoming circumstances instigated by the crowd, religious leaders and his own parents; he was perceived as lowly by the world yet God saw something beautiful in him in which he experienced God's amazing grace through Jesus Christ and through this ordeal God alone is glorified. Not only his physical eyes were healed but more importantly his soul/spirit was healed through Jesus.
The blind man was not only seeing the world for the first time but more importantly he encountered Jesus and his soul was saved. The blind man consistency and courage to stand firm in his testimony are something that is worth to follow as I continue to follow Jesus as my Lord and Saviour for He is the Christ.
As Peter said to Jesus:
"You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know
that you are the Holy One of God."
(Jn. 6:68-69)
(Jn. 6:68-69)
Grace is the church’s great distinctive. It’s the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else--for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world.
ReplyDeleteIf grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action - explores grace at street level.
And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?
Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust?
Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan?
Should any grace at all be shown to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and cannibalized seventeen young men?
Grace does not excuse sin, says Yancey, but it treasures the sinner.
True grace is shocking, scandalous.
It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope.
It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser.
It loves today’s AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus’ day.I
In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace’s life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks, How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear?
And he challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What’s So Amazing Joh3:16 😇
Thank you for sharing a glimpse of Yancey's thought. Grace is no doubt a provoking thought in this broken world, yet it is active and powerful beyond one's comprehension (Titus 2:11-14).
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