LookingtoJesus

March 11

Bible Reading: John 11:1-16

John 11:6, “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

John 11:25, “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”

I sometimes joked that my baby brother could catch a steelhead even if there were none in the river!  He was hooked on fishing and, sadly, hooked also on drugs.  He’d struggled with that since his teenage years.  But then things seemed to turn a corner, as he was staying clean and had even found a job and a girlfriend.  So, we were all shocked and devastated when, at the age of 31, he took his life.  My mom was heartbroken, wondering, “Why God?”  I regretted that I’d perhaps missed an opportunity to speak with my brother beforehand.  Illness and death frequently work to birth many “Why God?” and “If only” questions. 

So it was with Martha: “If only you’d been here, Lord, my brother would not have died!”  But Jesus had purposely delayed his arrival for two days after He received the news of Lazarus’ illness. One can only imagine what must have been going through their minds as they waited!  They’d sent for Jesus, but they’d gotten no word and then Lazarus died.  They were no doubt wondering why and if Jesus truly cared. 

It wasn’t for lack of love or concern, but “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters before, during, and after Lazarus’s illness.  Martha’s “if only” is the all-too-common sentiment of those who have suffered loss.  But God did care and had His own purposes in what was transpiring!

God used my brother’s death to turn my mom’s heart to Jesus.  Devastated by her loss, she looked to the only One who could save her from her sins and heal her broken heart.  Some years later, doctors diagnosed mom to have an aggressive and painful form of cancer.  Knowing Jesus, she fought that four-month battle with much God-given courage and hope.  And then she died.  But she died trusting Jesus. 

At mom’s request, I wrote this for my brother’s gravestone: “Like a raging river, rushing to the whelming sea, he has found his destination with the God of love and peace.”  We can’t always know the answers to our “Why God?” questions.  But we know God is sovereign, and that God is good, and with that knowledge we can trust Him even when we don’t understand (Psalm 119:68, Romans 8:28).

“Christ knows best at what time to do anything for His people.” — J. C. Ryle

BE STILL, MY SOUL
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the veil of tears,
then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
from His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

March 8

Bible Reading: John 10:28-42

John 10:28-29, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

He was the beloved president of the local chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association.  His Celebration of Life service was before a room packed with family and friends, with many testifying to how blessed they’d been to know him and how he had helped them in one way or another.

Before that, he was our hospice patient.  I was privileged to walk with him in the final steps of his life’s journey.  We readily formed a connection early in my visits, as we shared a love for Jesus and an affinity for riding motorcycles.  I soon learned that he had struggled with alcohol for many years before he came to know the Savior.  I’d pray with him every time I visited.  He had learned of my wife’s cancer struggle, and he’d always say a prayer for her.

He still had some things he wanted to do when he first came on hospice.  He wanted to ride his bike.  He had dreams of making a trip somewhere.  He wanted a yummy hamburger from some particular place in Yakima, where he had previously lived.  A family friend facilitated that request for him.  But one-by-one, he was forced to jettison his hopes, and then his independence. 

He was bedridden and hours from dying when I last prayed with him.  It was difficult for him to speak through his pain, but his concern was not for himself but for his family and their welfare after he was gone.  For we both knew that he was safe in the hands of Jesus and that there was nothing that could work to separate him from His love (Romans 8:37-38).  My last words to him were of the glory that awaited him in heaven. And he soon headed home to be with the Savior who loved him. One day we’ll likewise say goodbye to this world, and all our earthly hopes and dreams. But if you know Jesus, you’ve a best friend who will be with you always! Glory awaits for those who know Jesus! Have you trusted in Him for salvation?

To trust in Jesus is to find a best friend who will never leave or forsake us.  Nothing can henceforth work to snatch us out of His hands.

OUR GREAT SAVIOR!
Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
friends may fail me, foes assail me;
He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my vict’ry wins.
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
storms about me, night o’ertakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
more than all in Him I find;
He hath granted me forgiveness;
I am His, and He is mine!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.

March 7

Bible Reading: John 10:19-27

John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

The headline described the tragedy this way: “450 sheep leap to their deaths in Turkey.”  The article explained what happened.  In July 2005, in the Turkish village of Gevas, one sheep went over the cliff, enticing nearly fifteen hundred others to follow.  By the time 450 died, the pile of sheep carcasses at the bottom of the cliff grew large enough to cushion the fall for the rest.  Hundreds of sheep died.  It was a heartbreaking loss for the 26 families, each possessing, on average, 20 sheep.  Collectively, they lost about $100,000 worth of sheep.

What were those sheep thinking?  They weren’t!  They were sheep doing a stupid thing, something sheep are prone to do.  Their experience reminds us that we humans are prone to sheep-like behavior, walking on a broad path that leads to destruction, lest God intervene to put us on a better and safer path (Matthew 7:13-14). 

Their experience also begs the question, “Who are we listening to?”  We’ve choices in the matter.  We can listen to ourselves, or we can listen to what others tell us to think or do.  One sheep jumped, and all the rest did the same!  Or we can listen to the Good Shepherd who came to rescue us from ourselves and lead us in a better way and to a better place.

How precious, then, are ears tuned to listen and respond to the Master’s voice? One cannot work to improve their own spiritual hearing.  There are no hearing aids on earth that can avail such a blessing!  It is Jesus alone who can restore a wayward sheep to His flock and grant them ears tuned to His voice (1 Peter 2:25).  The book of Revelation speaks of the unveiling of Christ in his return.  Much trouble is soon to visit this planet.  In that context we are reminded of how important it is to have ears to hear: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3)!

It is a distinguishing characteristic of those that belong to Christ that they possess ears to hear His voice and hearts to follow His lead. Do you have ears tuned to hear the Master’s Voice?  Praise God for that!  Blessed are those who hear!

“Follow Christ, not the crowd.”

TRUST AND OBEY
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

March 6

Bible Reading: John 10:8-18

John 10:10b, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

As a hospice chaplain, I’ve witnessed it many times; the life of a hospice patient slowly ebbing away. And there’s a transition that takes place in the hearts of those that are dying.  The things that they once held dear either no longer matter or have become impossibilities.  In most cases, their focus shifts to their loved ones, and rightly so, but eventually they are compelled to say goodbye to them and this world.

In that context, how are we to understand Jesus’ words?  He came that we might have life and have it abundantly, but still the harsh reality of our troubles and pending death casts its shadow over us.  To understand what Jesus was saying about the abundant life, we need to reassess what that means.

“Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).  What Jesus saw then is an apt description of people in our day.  “Distressed and downcast” people need to be led back to their Shepherd.  He alone can lead and provide for them by imparting to them the life He has in Himself (John 1:4; 5:21, 26).  He even gave His life for that purpose (John 10:11).

King David, having been a shepherd himself, knew something about God’s abundant provision.  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” he wrote (Psalm 23:1).  Regarding my life, he said, it is the Lord who works to fulfill all my needs and desires.  To the extent, he said, that “My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). God alone can overflow “our cups.”

The life Jesus spoke of is an “I shall not want…my cup overflows” kind of life.  What is it most people long for in life?  They want to be loved.  Because of Jesus, we have “the love of God flooding through our hearts” (Romans 5:5, Philips Translation).  They want to be happy.  In Jesus, “we rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8).  They yearn for peace.  He avails a peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).  One does not experience the fulness of these blessings through the pursuit of them, but through the pursuit of Christ, and the realization of His indwelling presence. It is in knowing Him that one experiences the abundant life He speaks of (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:4). If you are a believer, the abundant, “I shall not want…my cup overflows” life is already yours in Him.  The Good Shepherd has worked to bless you that way!

One does not experience the abundant life through the pursuit of happiness, but through the pursuit of Christ and realization of His indwelling presence.

JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without him I would fall:
When I am sad, to him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, he makes me glad,
He’s my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
My friend in trials sore;
I go to him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er:
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this friend deny,
When he’s so true to me?
Following him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following him by day and night,
He’s my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better friend;
I trust him now, I’ll trust him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end:
Beautiful life with such a friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,

March 5

Bible Reading: John 10:8-18

John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd.”

The Bible often compares humans to sheep.  There’s good reason for that, as sheep are notoriously not-so-smart and needful of someone to lead and watch over them.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd: good by nature and altogether trustworthy in taking care of us.  But we are born into this world with a sinful independence that works to set and keep us astray.  Heaven rejoices when any lost sheep is returned to its Master (Luke 15:7).

Shirley was my neighbor, though I didn’t know her.  Then she was our hospice patient.  Then she became my good friend.  She was one of the most remarkable women I’ve known.  She died last year, after twenty months in hospice, ample opportunity for me to get to know and appreciate her. 

A Facebook post summarized her passing this way: “Morrow County lost a legendary sheep, cattle, horsewoman when Shirley died at the age of 94.”  She loved animals.  But she wasn’t so fond of people.  We talked about that once and agreed that sheep are “dumb but docile, whereas people are dumb and hostile,” though I added the caveat that people are not always that way.  She was a sheep rancher for many years, overseeing the Basque under-shepherds she employed.  They soon realized she was as tough as any of them.

She lived life on her terms.  But then she became a hospice patient.  And then there was a need for a transition.  The fiercely independent, “I don’t need anyone,” former sheep-rancher-now-hospice-patient, needed to realize her own need of a shepherd.  Over the course of those twenty months, Shirley and I and her daughter, Jill, talked about many things, but mostly about Jesus. 

I often read Scripture to her, gravitating towards John 10 and Psalm 23.  We’d sing hymns.  I talked to her about the Good Shepherd in whom she could trust for her salvation.  She once remarked that she hoped that she’d make it to heaven.  I explained to her how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gave His life so that she could have complete forgiveness and have the assurance of a heavenly home when the time comes.  And I witnessed her transition, from that fiercely independent woman, dependent on no one, to one who came to trust in the only One who could impart to her eternal life.  For many years, she’d watched over her sheep, but then Jesus called and made her one of His own. We all have desperate need of Jesus; the only question is to what extent we realize that.  In Jesus, we have a Good Shepherd who cares and can take care of us in every way (1 Peter 2:25).

“What would become of some people if they were always in good health, or if they were always prospering? But tribulation is the black dog that goes after the stray sheep and barks them back to the Good Shepherd.”—Charles Spurgeon.

SAVIOR, LIKE A SHEPHERD LEAD US
Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior,
With Thy love our bosoms fill:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

March 4

Bible Reading: John 10:1-7

John 10:1-2, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”

John 10:7, “So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’”

In Jesus’ day, it was common for a community to maintain a large sheep pen.  At the end of the day, people brought their small flocks of sheep to that bigger sheepfold.  The community hired a gatekeeper to stay with the sheep during the night.  In the morning, he opened the gate for the true shepherds, who had their sheep enclosed in the pen.  But it was possible for a thief or robber to enter by another way.  Jesus used that analogy to distinguish between himself and the Pharisees (John 9:22, 39-41).  They were the self-appointed false shepherds who drew the people away from true shepherd, Jesus.  The false shepherds were thieves and robbers, having come only to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). 

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, warned his followers of such false shepherds.  Sixteen centuries later, his words worked to change the heart of a man named Alexander Henderson.  As a founder of the Reformed Church in Scotland, Henderson would become one of the most respected church leaders in his day.  But things didn’t start out so well for him.

After finishing his education, he was sent to pastor his first church.  But he wasn’t a kind and godly man.  He was a churchman, not a genuine believer.  The people of the church did not approve of his appointment, so upon his arrival, they shut and bolted the door to the church.  Determined to claim his parish, Henderson crawled through a window and thus began his ministry—such as it was.

One day, he heard of a group of Christian meeting in a nearby community.  The meeting was unauthorized by the state, and Henderson, wanting to eavesdrop, hid himself in a back seat in a secluded corner.  The teacher rose and turned to the day’s Bible lesson, reading from John 10:1–2 about the thief who didn’t enter by the door but climbed in another way.  Henderson nearly fell from his chair, the text bringing to his mind his recent undignified entry into the church through a window.  God opened his eyes to the truth, and he placed his trust in Jesus.  Afterward, he faithfully served Jesus for many years.  But it wasn’t until he himself experienced salvation. 

Be careful to avoid any so-called Shepherd that doesn’t know the Chief Shepherd and is not careful to follow His example (1 Peter 5:1-4).  It is the Good Shepherd alone who can save and watch over our souls (1 Peter 2:25)!

The best way to avoid thieves and robbers is to stay near the Shepherd!

O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED
O Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
be Thou forever near me,
my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
if Thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if Thou wilt be my Guide.

O let me feel Thee near me,
the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
my foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear Thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control!
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul!

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
to all who follow Thee
that where Thou art in glory
there shall Thy servant be;
and, Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend!

March 1

Bible Reading: John 9:35-41

John 9:38-39, “He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’”

Technology has worked in amazing ways to allow us to see things we couldn’t previously see. A CT scan can allow a medical professional to “see” what’s happening inside someone’s body. With a light microscope we can see something as small as 500 nanometers (that’s 1,000,000,000^th of a meter and about 200 times smaller than the width of a human hair).  On the other end of that spectrum, a new telescope has broken the record for the farthest astronomical object ever seen (some 13.5 billion light-years from earth).

But apart from divine intervention, man has no ability on his own to “see” the truth about God.  The hard-hearted religious leaders had witnessed the same as everybody else.  They had observed and heard about Jesus’ miracles.  Jesus genuinely healed the blind man.  The man stood before them, boldly testifying to the truth of it.  But they had already made up their minds about Jesus and were thereby impervious to the truth.  Though they could see with their eyes, their hearts and minds remained blind. 

As with any malady, the first step to resolution is admitting that there is a problem.  One does not apprehend spiritual truth with superior intellect or cleverness or any kind of human machination.  It is God who opens blind eyes, and He does that for those who approach him in the humility of child-like faith, even as Jesus declared: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Luke 10:21).

I cannot imagine how hard it would be to live without the ability to see.  But the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees reminds us of the eternal ramifications associated with an unremedied spiritual blindness.  “Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains” (John 9:41).

She was a hospice patient when I started in my role as hospice chaplain, but she’d been averse to a chaplain visit. A nurse made a deal with her. What if he came one time with me, and then you can decide if you want him to return. I returned and soon discovered that she’d never been to church, never read from the Bible, and knew nothing about Jesus. In our subsequent visits, I shared truths about how Jesus came to save us from our sins. Her sight wasn’t very good, so I got her a large print Bible, but the print wasn’t big enough, so I exchanged that one for a giant print version. I asked her to read from the gospel of John, answering two questions: 1) Who does it say Jesus is? 2) What does He want for you to do? She read John, then Acts, and then kept on reading. The nurse was with me the day she prayed, trusting Jesus to forgive and save her. She died not long after, but not before God opened her eyes to Jesus.

If you’ve got eyes to see, you are blessed! Praise God for it! If you don’t, turn to God with child-like faith, asking Him to open your eyes to the truth!

OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY SEE
Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my ears that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear,
and while the wave notes fall on my ear,
ev’rything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth and let me bear
gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my mouth, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

February 29

Bible Reading: John 9:24-34

John 9:24-27, “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?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen.’”

It is not always easy to share the truth about Jesus with others.  There’s the distress that we might not know exactly what to say, combined with the fear associated with what others might think.  It’s not surprising that Paul had to remind Timothy to not “be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8).

Be encouraged by the example of the man born blind.  He knew very little about the One who had worked to restore his sight, except that He did it.  His interrogation was at the hands of powerful men, men who could even cast folks out of the synagogue anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ (John 9:22).  Their animosity towards Jesus was no doubt palpable!

There are two things in his example which can prove helpful.  His testimony was relatively simple.  He had been blind until Jesus intervened and worked to restore his sight.  I’ve heard a lot of testimonies over the years, but at the heart of them is a very simple truth.  The realization and confession of one’s need for salvation leading to Jesus’ intervention and the subsequent changes that took place.  As the hymn puts it: “I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.” 

His testimony was simple, and he refused to be dissuaded.  By this point in the account, the religious leaders had already interrogated him once.  Then they questioned his parents.  Then they argued against his experience using every possible weapon in their arsenal.  But the man could not be moved.  He knew that what Jesus had done for him was real—he could see it with his own eyes!  Instead of wilting before such harsh interrogation, he was emboldened, declaring in the end: “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” (John 9:32-33).   Then they angrily cast him out!

Having been saved by Jesus, you’ve a testimony to share.  Be not “ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  God can give you the words to say and the power to say them well!

“A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with only an argument!” – Brian Bell

I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE
There was a blind man, in a distant land, who did not understand God’s saving plan
Til Jesus saw him, had mercy on him, told him to wash and his eyes were opened
He washed the clay away, his night was turned to day
Then he heard a scoffer say, “you can’t be healed this way”
Could you explain to us who is this Jesus? Is he the least of us? What can you tell us?
And this is what he said:

(Chorus:)
Though I don’t understand, I still will stand on this promise I’ve received
And I don’t need to know how he made me whole to know I was blind, but now I see.
I was a blind man in a distant land. I did not understand god’s saving plan
Til Jesus found me, put his arms around me, said he’d gone to calvary just to prove he loved me
He washed my sins away, my night was turned to day
Then I heard a scoffer say, “you can’t be saved this way”
Could you explain and tell how you’ve been saved from hell?
And how that all is well? Sounds like a fairy tale.
So this is what I said:

(Tag:)
Though I don’t understand I still will stand on this promise I’ve received
And I don’t need to know how he made me whole to know I was blind but now I see
And I don’t need to know how he made me whole to know i was blind but not I see
I was blind but now I see.

February 28

Bible Reading: John 9:13-23

John 9:20-22, “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.).”

It has been said that those who control the narrative control the people.  There’s obviously some truth to that, as even the Jews understood.  Politically speaking, it was the Romans who held power over the Jews, but in practical terms, as it related to the everyday lives of the Jewish people, it was the religious leaders who exercised control.  In their ongoing dispute and conspiracy against Jesus, they worked hard to control the narrative, that they might hold on to power.

Jesus gave sight to the man born blind.  An amazing and undeniable miracle took place.  The miracle fulfilled ancient prophecies that spoke of the kinds of things that the Messiah would do.  The right response of the witnesses would be to believe in Him unto salvation.  But that’s not what happened.

The religious leaders, hard-hearted in their unbelief, needed to stop the news about Jesus from spreading.  To no avail, the Pharisees interrogated the man born blind, hoping to find some way to discount his account.  When that didn’t work, they interviewed his parents, as the parents could easily identify their own son and testify as to what had occurred.  The parents confirmed it was indeed their son, but said that they were unaware of how his eyes were opened (John 9:20-21).  Odds are that they knew, but they were too afraid to speak the truth.  Why?  Because the Jews had already agreed to excommunicate from the synagogue anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ. The parents weighed their love for their son against the prospect of losing access to the benefits associated with their way of life.  Truth lost.

The Jews would continue in their assault against the truth.  They plotted to kill Lazarus after he had been raised from the dead; conspired to arrest Jesus; incited the mobs to cry out for his crucifixion; spread the lie, following the resurrection, that the disciples had stolen away his body; demanded that the Apostles not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. And so on…

The Jews had their own narrative, through which they sought to hold on to power.  But they couldn’t keep Jesus in the tomb, and they couldn’t stop His gospel from spreading.  This account reminds us of the importance of being cautious to not being swayed by the false narratives we encounter (regardless of who is spreading them), and instead be careful, in our love for truth, to “test everything; (holding) fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Don’t allow those holding power to control your narrative, instead pursue the truth.

“It is well said in the old Proverb, ‘A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.’” – Charles Spurgeon

ONCE TO EVERY MAN AND NATION
Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God’s new Messiah,
Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
Twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble,
When we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit,
And ‘tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
While the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue
Of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calvaries ever
With the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward,
Who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet ‘tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong:
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above His own.

February 27

Bible Reading: John 9:6-12

John 9:10-12, “So they said to him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.’”

During a routine eye exam some years ago, the optometrist found I had a small retina tear.  She was so concerned; she called in her superior.  They then asked if they could bring some interns so that they could have a look at it too.  They scheduled me to have laser surgery as soon as possible.  Fortunately, they corrected the issue, though I’ve since had to have my eyes examined yearly.  The process of diagnosing and correcting that eye malady cost a lot of time and travel and VA money.  Jesus healed the man born bling in an instant with no ophthalmologist training or equipment.   

It was an unprecedented miracle that clearly testified to the truth regarding Jesus.  When Jesus healed the man born blind, “the works of God (were) displayed in him” (John 9:3).  The blind man, his sight having been restored, testified to the unprecedented nature of the miracle: “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind” (John 9:32). 

Centuries-old prophecies stated the Messiah would give sight to the blind (Isaiah 35:5).  The religious leaders knew of these prophecies.  For centuries, they waited for the arrival of their Messiah, but then blindly failed to recognize him when he came.   

Though he had previously proclaimed Jesus as Messiah, the imprisoned John the Baptist began to doubt.  Jesus was not acting like he expected the Messiah to act.  He sent messengers to Jesus, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another” (Matthew 11:3)?  Included in Jesus’ response to John was the fact that “the blind receive their sight” (Matthew 11:5).  That Jesus was opening the eyes of the blind was proof positive that He was the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31).

Jesus restored sight to the man born blind, in a miracle that attested to His true identity.  Jesus continues to open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they might trust in Him.  John Newton, the former slave-ship captain turned pastor, had his spiritual eyes opened and then went on to faithfully serve Jesus for many years.  He wrote about that, saying: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now am found.  Was blind, but now I see!” Such is the testimony of all those who have had their eyes opened to the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)!

Our task in this dark world is to direct the spiritually blind to the One who can open their eyes and enlighten and enliven their souls.

AMAZING GRACE
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.