I once was blind but now I see?

Jane Denniston March 20, 2026 1 2

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John 9: 35-41 (NIV-UK)

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’

36 ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’

37 Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’

38 Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him.

39 Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’

41 Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

When I was training for ministry, and studying at university, one of the things that the lecturers were keen to impress upon the class is that we look at the world through tinted spectacles – and these are not rose-tinted. The point was that everything we see, hear, and think, is filtered through our context, our experience, and what we’ve previously learned from those who have gone before: parents, teachers, church leaders. In other words, there is no such thing as ‘the plain truth’, or ‘what the Bible really says’. When I read the Bible, I will see different things in it than you because of my background. In 21st century Scotland we will see different things in it than a first century Jew.

Perhaps this has never been more clearly illustrated than in the world today as we see social media flooded with posts asserting that this meaning or that meaning (diametrically opposed to each other) is the true meaning of scripture. We may be aghast at the meaning others’ take from scripture when we don’t agree with them, but they are equally aghast at us. The challenge for everyone who thinks they know what scripture means is to say, ‘I could be wrong’ and to be always open to the Spirit leading us in unexpected directions.

Prayer:

Father, help us to see.

Open the eyes of our hearts

that we may see and know your truth.

Help us to see beyond our preconceptions

to the truth that lies beyond

right and wrong

black and white

good and evil.

May we always be ready to say,

‘I may be wrong!’

and be taught that your way

is unexpected

original

often uncomfortable

and never ordinary, Amen