Open Eyes, Open Heart

“His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” - John 9:2-3

Throughout my ministry, I have seen countless people come to Christ who, under ordinary circumstances, wouldn’t give Jesus a second thought. Desperation causes people to do things they ordinarily would never do. Henry David Thoreau, a famous American author and philosopher, once said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” What does it mean to be desperate? Desperate people are hurting, helpless and hopeless.

Jesus specializes in desperate people. In fact, He gravitates to them. We see this truth clearly displayed in John 9. Here we meet a man who was born in desperation. He was born blind in a time and place where physical handicaps were seen as a curse – a punishment for some unseen wrong. But through his miraculous encounter with Jesus, we learn that the place of desperation is the perfect setting for God’s transformation.

This man was not born blind because of something he or his parents had done. Rather, he was born blind because of something God wanted to do. The man’s blindness was not only physical but spiritual as well. His heart was blinded to the truth of who Jesus is and who he could be in Him. The man was born without physical sight. He was not blind because he couldn’t see; he couldn’t see because he was blind. Likewise, we are all born sinners. We aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we are born sinners. In other words, we aren’t born with God and then lose Him along the way. We are born without God. This is why we must be born again.

In healing this man’s congenital blindness, Jesus was painting a beautiful picture of salvation. He touched the man’s eyes and then had him go wash, then he could see.  When Christ touches the blindness of our hearts, then washes us with His precious blood, we see truly for the first time. Jesus didn’t restore this man’s sight – He created sight in him. In the same way, His healing touch creates new life in anyone who believes in Him.

Are you living a life of quiet desperation? If you want your place of desperation to become a setting for transformation just believe what God has said…believe in who Jesus is and what He has done for you. Then you, like so many others, will walk away seeing.

Dear God, thank You for using anything – even my desperation – to draw me to You. When I'm feeling desperate and hopeless, help me to draw near to you rather than sit in my misery. Grow my faith so that I may believe that you can bring transformation from desperation. In Jesus' name, amen.