Seeing Blindness

“Honey? Where’s the ketchup?” my husband hollers from downstairs in the kitchen, peering into the refrigerator.

“It’s on the third shelf on the left!” I yell back down the stairs.

“It’s not there!”
“It’s at the back behind the mayonnaise!”
“Nope, not there!”

With a sigh I come down the stairs, reach to the back of the third shelf, left side, behind the mayonnaise, and pull out the ketchup and hand it to an incredulous husband.

“Seriously, I didn’t see it,” he says sheepishly.

It may be a familiar conversation in your household between spouses and with one’s kids. But while it’s easy to spot blind spots in other people, it is harder to “see” our own!

A story in John 9 recounts how Jesus healed a blind man by spitting into the dirt, mixing it with His saliva, and placing it on the blind man’s eyes before telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. While the story initially appears to feature one blind person, a careful reading reveals four kinds of blindness—each with lessons for us today. We’ll explore what caused their blindness, how it reflects our struggles, and how healing is possible.
Blinded by Circumstances: The Blind Man

Obviously this man was physically blind. Yet often, literal setbacks in life can make us spiritually blind to God in our lives. How often, when we sense an attack of the devil, we cry out, “God, where are You? I can’t see You!”

Yet in this story Jesus says that as a result of his blindness, he would be able to see God working in his life. Imagine, if this man had been well, he might never have encountered Jesus! Sometimes we are so blinded by bad circumstances that we fail to see how God could be using those very circumstances to bring us into greater view of Himself.

In the last chapter of Job, after Job endures painful trials and has an initially heated exchange with his Maker, Job finally exclaims, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5, NIV). And in the midst of his trials, with eyes of faith Job spoke those famous words: “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another” (Job 19:25-27, NIV). What challenges might God be using in your life to offer a clearer view of Him?

While it’s easy to spot blind spots in other people, it is harder to “see” our own!

Blinded by Selfishness and Pride: The Disciples

It has always struck me as a little awkward that the disciples were discussing the blind man and his parents’ possible sins, while he was sitting right there. He was blind, not deaf! While the disciples “saw” the blind man, they were very blind to who he was as a person. They failed to see the man as a person with real needs and feelings. They saw him only as his disability or his “sin.” They weren’t interested in helping him. They just wanted to use him as a case study.

How often do we focus on others’ differences—their handicaps, mistakes, theology, or lifestyle choices—and reduce them to labels? We forget that people are just like us, complex human beings with both good and bad traits and going through good and bad times. Whether because of indifference, pride, or selfishness, we scrutinize others’ specks and ignore the logs in our own eyes. In what ways might we be blind to the humanity of those around us?

Blinded by Their Limited “God-Box”: The Pharisees

The Pharisees’ repeated questioning of the healed man is almost comedic. “How were you healed?” they keep asking. But when he credits Jesus, they dismiss it: “Wrong answer!” To them, Jesus couldn’t possibly perform miracles, because He didn’t fit their mold of how a Messiah was supposed to behave. He didn’t keep their customs, he looked down on their traditions and told them they had a lot more growing to do. Therefore, when God performed a miracle outside of the box they had created, they chose to be blind.

Perhaps someone’s life changes for the better through means or people we don’t approve of. Do we let our preconceived ideas blind us to how God is working?

Blinded by Fear: The Parents

When the Pharisees couldn’t accept the healed man’s testimony, they turned to his parents. Now the parents obviously knew their son, and they had no reason to doubt their son’s healing, but fear kept them from affirming it. Admitting the truth would mean being ostracized from the synagogue—the center of their religious, social, and economic lives. They would lose not just their only place of worship (and in their minds their connection with God and salvation) but also their social support network, their business customers and bosses and workers. It was a pretty big deal.

Interestingly, unlike his parents, the blind man was unafraid. As someone who had lived as an outcast, being thrown out of the synagogue probably didn’t faze him. But I think the blind man also recognized that if this Man had the power to restore sight, He could also take care of all his needs.

Fear often blinds and paralyzes us, whether in personal or spiritual decisions. But the God who leads us to challenging places also leads us through them. How different would our lives and churches be if we weren’t blinded by fear?
Steps Toward Healing

Is there hope for our blindness? Absolutely!

The first step is recognizing it. The Pharisees asked Jesus if they were blind, to which Jesus responded, “Because you think you can see, you are blind” (John 9:41, paraphrased). Similarly, 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns us, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

The good news is that Jesus is the one who seeks out the blind. In fact, this story is one of the few where Jesus healed someone who didn’t ask for it. On the other hand, that is probably also why Jesus asked him to act in faith by washing away the mud He placed over his eyes. The man could have laughed at Jesus for being crazy, like when Naaman balked at the prophet Elisha’s instructions to dip in the Jordan seven times to be cured of leprosy. Yet this man had faith in Jesus and responded accordingly.

Healing often requires faith-driven action. How might Jesus be calling you to act in faith to heal your blindness?

Another crucial step is sharing what God has done for us. When the Pharisees questioned the healed man, he asked them boldly, “Do you want to become His disciples too?” While it may have been tinged with frustration, his story invited others to consider Jesus. One of the best defenses against people who are blinded to Jesus is to simply share our personal testimony. People can debate facts, but they can’t argue about how your life was changed.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus heard the man had been kicked out of the synagogue after testifying about Him, He came to the man and asked him if he knew the Son of God. If the man had succumbed to the threats, he might never have seen Jesus or be fully spiritually healed!

Sharing our testimonies not only blesses others but deepens our healing and truly helps us see God. When we articulate how God has worked in our lives, we reaffirm His presence and power and strengthen our faith. How can you share your story to inspire others and complete your healing? May our stories of healing from blindness echo through the ages: I once was blind, but now I see!