John 9: Are You Blinded by Pride, Controlled by Fear?

Admin
Jul 2
10 min read

If asked, I am sure that all Christians would claim they are not “blinded by pride.” Perhaps a few will admit they are controlled through fear. Unfortunately, many Christians are in the same state as God’s people when Jesus came the first time. In John Chapter Nine, the Pharisees believed they were filled with wisdom and Heaven-bound. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Jesus revealed the true state of the hearts of His people and God’s leaders.

We should closely examine not only this chapter, but our lives as well to make sure we are not in the same state as God’s people who rejected Jesus!

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:28-32 ESV)

The cup and the bread are communion. It is the way we declare that we have received Jesus and all that He has done for us. He paid the price necessary for us to be in a relationship with God so that we can go to Heaven. Is there an attack on your body? If so, it may be because you have not taken time to examine your life and judge whether or not you are doing right by God and your Lord, Jesus.

Let’s do that today. Let’s look at this chapter and see if any of it applies to us. We may need to change some things in our lives if it does! The chapter begins by showing us a key fact about disabilities and health issues when He notices a man who was blind since birth.

And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:2-5 ESV)

From the disciple's question, we can see that sometimes health issues, including hindrances occurring at birth can be caused by sin. Jesus informs them some ailments may exist so that God’s glory may be seen. How is that glory seen? By the work or miracles revealing God’s light in the world.

How can we be sure consequences can come upon our health because of sin? God told His people what would cause us trouble when they left Egypt:

And repays those who hate Him to their face, by destroying them; He will not be slack to him who hates Him, but will requite him to his face. (Deuteronomy 7:10 AMPC)

Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me... (John 14:21 ESV)

God equates obedience with love and hate. Those who love God, obey Him. If we disobey God we are siding with His enemy and we “hate” Him. Those who continually disobey God, He will requite, or pay back. How? Let’s continue reading in Deuteronomy to find out:

You shall therefore keep and do the instruction, laws, and precepts which I command you this day. And if you hearken to these precepts and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love which He swore to your fathers.

And He will love you, bless you, and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your body… (Deuteronomy 7:11-13 AMPC)

What we do can have an impact on the fruit of our bodies: our kids. This is true for blessing and the opposite as well. The negative consequences of our sins are referred to as curses.

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God... (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 AKJV)

A “curse” means the enemy will have an opportunity to cause physical, mental, emotional, and financial issues in our lives. Our salvation comes from our faith in Jesus, but that doesn’t mean there are no consequences for not learning and walking in God’s ways.

Israel was well aware of this fact. Jesus revealed in the opening verses of John that not all negative issues in our lives are due to sin! This was a brand new revelation that God’s people had never heard.

The religious leaders repeatedly urged Jesus to give them a sign to confirm what He was saying. This was typical for God’s prophets: they would deliver a “word” or revelation and then perform a sign to confirm that it was from God. This time, Jesus didn’t give just any old sign. Jesus healed the man who was born blind; This is one of the three miracles that only the Messiah could do.

Are you guilty of Intellectual Pride?

The Pharisees were the religious ruling body. They should have known that only the Messiah could heal a man born blind. How did they respond when this amazing miracle happened?

Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. (John 9:14-16 ESV)

Many of the Pharisees were more concerned with the letter of the Law than with God’s goodness and the miraculous sign. They had previously asked Jesus for a sign, and now they had one, a big one, yet they were unwilling to accept it. Why?

The nation of Israel was structured to give power and influence through the interpretation and application of God’s Word. The Pharisees had gained influence and power by becoming the recognized experts concerning the Word of God. They were filled with pride as they relied on their knowledge for power. Dependence on what we think we know is intellectual pride. If we believe our knowledge is our strength, even if it is based on scripture, we are not relying on God and His strength.

As we study the Word of God, we should know that there is always more to learn and be aware that there is a chance we have misunderstood something. If we hear a teaching that disagrees with what we believe about God’s ways, we should be willing to examine the scriptures on which our beliefs are based. For hundreds of years and even today, some Christian leaders take one or two verses entirely out of context, perverting God’s ways and who He is. We can be led astray and operate in intellectual pride if we are not ready to look at a teaching just because we have been taught something different. We must…

Be willing to look at the whole chapter or even two chapters, to put scripture into the context of the Word of God.
Learn when it was spoken so we know how it may have applied.
Know God’s heart to know if it aligns with who He is and the rest of the Word of God!

Are You Controlled by Fear?

The Pharisees should have wanted to confirm the miracle so they could welcome the anticipated Messiah. Instead, they looked for a way to discredit it. When you hear something new about the Word of God that doesn’t align with your current way of thinking, do you look for a way to discredit it? Or do you examine the scriptures on which each belief is founded to determine if you or your leaders have missed something?

Back to the story…the Pharisees summoned the parents of the blind man and asked them if this was really their son who was born blind. The parents’ response shows us how the religious leaders retained their power.

His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” (John 9:20-23 ESV)

Synagogues were local gathering points in each city where copies of the Torah scrolls were kept. Being “out of synagogue” would mean social isolation, loss of religious participation, and potential economic repercussions due to the close-knit nature of Jewish society at the time. This is the power the Pharisees used to control God’s people: fear of being “put out,” ostracized, and ridiculed.

If your church has leaders who can deny someone communion, excommunicate people, or are the only ones who can receive a confession to remove sin, this gives those leaders the same power as the Pharisees. A church should be a place to discuss the Bible and look at scripture without fear of being ostracized. If yours is not, you may be controlled by fear.

The Pharisees called the healed man before them once more as they continued to attack Jesus, even though the miracle only the Messiah could do, had been confirmed.

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this Man is a sinner.”

He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

They said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” (John 9:24-26 ESV)

When miracles are performed, we should give glory to God; that part of their statement is true. However, by combining it with “This Man is a sinner,” they are attempting to discredit Jesus. What sin are they accusing Jesus of?

This miracle happened on the Sabbath. They wanted the formerly blind man to testify about it once more so Jesus could be condemned for violating it, but he refused to take their bait:

He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He comes from.” (John 9:27-29 ESV)

This man was not giving them any “dirt” on Jesus. When he refused to testify against the Lord, they accused him of being a disciple, while boasting of their own qualification: studying the Torah.

The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. (John 9:30-34 ESV)

The healed man gave a powerful testimony quoting the belief that no one would know where the Messiah came from and the healing that only the Messiah could accomplish. These were two undeniable facts that established Jesus as the Messiah. The Pharisee’s ambition blinded them to what was clearly stated. Their response was steeped in pride.

When you say or think, “Who do they think they are?” or “I’ve been doing this for so many years, who are they to teach me anything…” You have the same problem as these leaders. You have become prideful about your own wisdom. This could cause you to be blinded to the truth. Are you following a leader who has this attitude?

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14 ESV)

Jesus spoke about leaders who are blinded by pride and focused on traditions. If you are following someone who is not willing to receive correction and is focused on what they know and what has “always been done” then you are in danger of falling into a pit with them!

God will Find You

Hearing that the man had been removed from the synagogue, Jesus sought Him out. When we stand firm for God and His ways, He will show up. That is the purpose of Jesus becoming a Man which is clearly stated at the end of this chapter:

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees near Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we also blind?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. (John 9:39-41 ESV)

Jesus was speaking metaphorically equating seeing with thinking you are an expert and/or trusting in what we think we know. If we believe that we know all that is necessary, if we trust in what we can see, we are truly blinded by intellectual pride. God is so much bigger than we are. His ways are so much higher than our ways. We should be continually learning.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men... (1 Corinthians 3:18-21 ESV)

Intellectual pride does not only apply to spiritual matters. When we think much of our knowledge, we do not leave room for God to “drop some knowledge” on us! Pride will prevent us from seeing God’s truth, which is how we become free!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 AMPC)

We should be progressing from one level of glory, God working through us, to a higher level of glory. As we study and apply what we’ve learned, we gain freedom from attacks of the enemy. This can only happen if we are willing to learn and understand how little we really know! We must be ready to examine new teachings and compare them to what we think we know to confirm what is true, or we may miss what God is doing. If we are unwilling to do this, we may have the heart of a Pharisee.