Observation: This man is one born blind whom Jesus has healed. The man was then questioned by the Jewish leaders, and after being pressed he declared that certainly Jesus was a man from God, for it is known that no other healer or prophet had ever been able to cure a person born blind. Upon hearing about this question and the man's answer, Jesus gets direct ... asking the man if he believes in Messiah.
This question seems primarily about the man's understanding of the concept of Messiah. It appears Jesus is asking if the man is familiar with the idea that there will come a savior from God, specifically intended to provide hope and salvation to all mankind, and that this is a special kind of person sent by God, not just another prophet. In other words, Jesus is asking if the man believes in the idea of Messiah. The man - even though he himself has declared Jesus to be a great man of God - has not yet connected up Jesus as Messiah, for he says he wants to believe in a Messiah, if only he knew who it was.
Application: The blind man had been healed in the most powerful way possible, yet didn't connect up that Jesus was therefore the most powerful man of God in history. Likewise, around us is proof that God is the loving creator who loves everyone, yet so many people do not connect up the proof with the fact.
If asked about God, how many people today would provide a similar response ... that people want to believe, if only they knew of a source for such belief? If I asked people if they believed in God, most would probably give a yes or no answer, but deep down I feel like, for many, the answer is more along the lines of ... 'I want to believe if only I could be shown evidence.'
Or maybe that's the actual issue today ... they actually don't want to believe. They no longer want peace, hope, joy, and love. They want to define their 'purpose' through conflict, show their strength out of their fear, a declare their hurts as their unique strength. They place value in earthly labor and experiences, and as a result even embrace emotional hurt and struggles instead of desiring God's love.
Do they want to believe in the Messiah? What if the answer is "I don't care who he is, because no, I don't want to believe"?
May we find more people who desire the peace, joy, and love of God, so that we can begin a better conversation.
Prayer: Lord, perhaps now we are at a new turning point in society. May that include a new desire to find joy, or at least to escape fear. As some people do seek that, help your Church be prepared to ask them if they believe, and have an answer for those who want to believe. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment