Scripture: John 9 v 11: "He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."
A whole chapter is devoted to this notable miracle. It starts with Jesus seeing this man who was blind from birth and the disciples asking if this was an ancestral curse. Jesus said No this man's blindness is not brought on by sin but because God wanted to use him to manifest His power.
Ancestral curses are seen in diseases or repeated disasters that follow the bloodline in a family through 3 or 4 generations. They start because of gross disobedience to God like involvement in witchcraft or satanic cults; murder; rape; kidnapping; cruelty; idolatry and bitterness.
We are on this Earth to manifest God's power! No matter our state of being Jesus shines His light through us to open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind - who cannot understand salvation nor receive it. People who are hard-hearted need to turn their heart of stone to a heart of flesh. Or we should pray for this to happen.
This man was completely healed by Jesus; he was blind but now could see. The Pharisees - the religious leaders of Israel - refused to believe this miracle and questioned his parents who said he was born blind but they did not know how his eyes were opened.
The Pharisees tried to do damage control by mocking and belittling Jesus and provoking the healed man. He told them that Jesus had done a miracle never seen before. If He were not from God He could do nothing. The Pharisees did what all religious people do when they are confronted by spiritual truth - they threw him out of the temple.
Then Jesus made Himself known to the man He had healed, and revealed that He was the Son of God. When you overcome religious tradition you meet the real Jesus. Even a few Pharisees recognised their spiritual blindness through this wonderful miracle.
Religious tradition that is contrary to Bible teachings results in spiritual blindness. Also living on a diet of spiritual milk when the Lord wants us to mature by partaking of the strong meat He has stored in His treasure house, will cause spiritual blindness.
Our Father promised to send us the Holy Spirit which happened 50 days after the death of Jesus, on the feast of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came and the full Christian experience began. He gave us supernatural gifts to open and use which would lead us to the strong meat of spiritual maturity and experience.
Jesus wants you to stretch your faith to new levels of believing and receiving. He wants to wash away blindness or blinkers from your spiritual eyes. He wants you to fully partake of the feast He has prepared for you instead of you just nibbling at the edges. You have to want it though. He will not force feed you.
If we reject Him and neglect His Word we as like the blind leading the blind so both fall into the ditch. Spiritually that ditch represents backsliding, pride, deception, unteachableness and false doctrines. We are not called to follow men or teachers, we must follow Jesus and have a strong relationship with Him. Even if we have strayed into a church that is not moving in the true Spirit of God, He will guide us to where He wants us to be.
However if we are stubborn and religious then the blindness is still shutting out His truth and this may never be corrected. Rather be open and yielded to Him to avoid missing His plan for your life.
Hebrews 5 v 12 - 14: "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Babies need milk to grow but eventually start eating meat. Spiritually the milk of the Word, the Gospels, is to bring you to salvation. The Holy Spirit is your Teacher using His gifts and life experiences to grow your faith to the point that strong meat does not choke you. We need that strong meat to elevate our faith so that the Lord can use us in miraculous ways to extend His Kingdom.
Prayer: Heavenly Father open our eyes to see Your Kingdom; Your truth; Your Son; Your life so we can follow Your ways forever to find the only path home. We desire to know more, and receive more strong meat. We are willing to break away from all traditions that blindfold us from the heights and depths of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.