"One Thing I Know"

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Today's Passage: John 9: 1-25
Memory Verse: Jn 9: 25

This story of the blind man, who was blind from birth but was healed, is a familiar one.  It reminds me of my own salvation story, and it aso reveals parts of human nature that leave much to be desired.  Here is a man whose entire life is made insignificant because of his inability to see.  He finds himself in a place where he is cut off from the world.  Even his parents, who no doubt have pity on him, cannot help him.  After a while, he resigns himself to the fact that his life will amount to nothing.  UNTIL he meets Jesus. 

Isn't it amazing how just ONE encounter with the Christ can totally change everything we ever thought was important?  But in spite of all this, the "religious folks" (Pharisees) are so bent on seeing Jesus as a devil that they ignore the fact that a man's life has been changed for the better.  They don't care that no longer will he have to sit by the roadside and beg to sustain his livelihood.  So they set out trying to discredit Jesus by asking all these questions.  I just love the man's response.

"Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know.  ONE THING I DO KNOW: THAT THOUGH I WAS BLIND, NOW I SEE."  For this man, it mattered not what others thought about Jesus.  It did not matter in the least that they chose not to accept His divinity.  All he knew was that, in one moment in time, Jesus changed his life forever.  I'm sure it did not even matter that he was kicked out of the synagogue for defending the fact that Jesus was from God (John 9: 30-34).

We all could learn a valuable lesson from this man.  Once Jesus changes us,we need never again allow anything anyone else says or thinks to get our focus off that one thing.  When I gave my heart to the Lord, I came against arguments even from close family members about how it didn't require such drastic changes to live for God.  I was told once that the Bible was found not to be the true Word of God because there were "lost books", so there was no reason to accept or follow everything it said.  But, like the man in this story, I was able to say, "One thing I know: I once was blind, but now I see."  We must recognize the spirit of antichrist and not take it personally what's being said around us.  We must also accept the fact that there will be conflict because of the cross.  The Pharisees wanted this man to side with them and deny what had happened to him.  But he refused to ignore the new-found joy coursing through his veins. For this change, he was willing to withstand rejection, and so must we.  We must cling to this "one thing" and let that be our testimony for the rest of our lives.

Prayer: Father, You have given me the most important things there are: new life in Jesus, and freedom from the enemy of my soul.  May I never forget what You did, and the price You paid.  No matter what opposition I encounter, You've already given me power to overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of my testimony.  So let my testimony be the same until I see You face to face.  In Jesus' mighty Name, Amen.