Blind Spots

Text: John 9:35-41 v. 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?"

You know what a blind spot is. If youíre driving in a car and are relying on your rear view mirrors to check the lanes, there are some spots that you still wonít be able to see. The back right corner. The back left corner. Those are blind spots. Oh you can turn your head and take a gaze a those spots so that you will know what if anything is there, but for the moment that you check your blind spots, you are unaware of what is happening in front of the car. Blind spots. Blind spots are created by virtue that we don’í have eyes in the back of our heads, and that it is physically impossible to see everything at once. Blind spots

These people, these Pharisees here in the text of John 9 were said by Jesus to be blind. The irony is that Jesus had just healed a blind man. And in the aftermath of the story, when the Pharisees tried to find a legal technicality to undo the miracle that Jesus had performed, they reveal themselves to have a blind spot where Jesus is concerned. Jesus said that he came so that those who do not see may see, and that those who think they see will realize that they are blind. And revealing their arrogance and pride, the Pharisees responded to Jesus by saying, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" The man had just cured blind eyes, and the Pharisees were trying to say that he wasnít of God. Blind spots.

Because, when we have spiritual blind spots, like these Pharisees in the story, we canít see what God is doing. God had just performed a miracle through his only son, and still these religious leaders couldnít see it. When youíve got a spiritual blind spot, God can be doing something fantastic right in your midst and you still wonít see it. You can see how you want things. You can see how you think things should be. You can see what you want to see. But when youíve got spiritual blind spots, you might just miss out on what God is doing right next to you, right in your midst.

One of our young people passed me a joke this morning that fits the occasion. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and wen tot sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." "What does that tell you?" Watson pondered for a minute.

"Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why, what does it tell you?" Holmes said, "Watson you idiot, someone has stolen our tent." Sometimes we are blind to what is going on right in our midst, and in a spiritual sense, we can be blind to what God is doing so well for us.

How many times have you and I seen people who are unhappy with their lives because not everything is going the way they want. Especially here in America, where the poorest of us lives so much better than so many people around the world. WE complain because our cable bill is getting higher. We balk because our cell phones have roaming charges. We cry because they only had butter top wheat bread instead of white bread at the restaurant. We get upset when the educational system only shows a 6% increase in test scores. And too often we allow things to pile up on us and we miss out on what joy God has provided for us right here in front of us. Complaining about your spouse when youíve got a loving faithful one. Picking on your children because they got an A- instead of an A like the kids next door. Blind spots. We canít see what great things God is doing right in our midst.

And if we did, we would jump for joy at just how good God has been to us. Food to eat. Water to drink. People to love. A place to worship. Air to breathe. Strength to live. Oh praise the lord. The Pharisees should have been jumping for joy that a blind man could now see. But they had a spiritual blind spot where it came to Jesus.