John 9:1-12

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)

2) Scripture Reading: John 9:1-12
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

3) Devotional Thought
Many people marvel at this miracle performed by Jesus. However as I read this passage, my focus is on the disciples because I am so quick to pass judgment on others. I especially like to focus on the shortcomings of others because it makes me look better in my own eyes. When I do this, I am so pathetic. I make such poor judgments, just like the disciples, because I can’t really see the journey others have been on or how far they have come in their relationship with God. Additionally, I can’t see God’s purpose in what He is doing until after He is finished. In this case of restoring the blind man’s sight, Jesus reveals God’s purpose before He is finished performing this healing. His purpose was to reveal God’s glory to this blind man, the disciples and an entire crowd.  
I always want to know what God is doing and why. It seems the closer I get to Him by reading His Word, praying and obeying Him, the more I see Him do and the more I understand why He is doing it. The less I read His Word and pray, the more I rely on myself to make judgments about what I think I see Him doing and why I think He is doing it. Remember these truths spoken of in the book, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby: 1) God is always at work around us and He wants us to join Him in His work, and 2) God wants a intimate love relationship with us that is real and personal. If we have that relationship with God, we will see where He is working, we will join Him in His work, and we will know why He is working as we work by His side. What we won’t be doing is judging others or judging God.

4) Questions to Ponder

Can you see God working and do you know why He is doing what He is doing? Is your relationship so intimate with God that He is revealing His purposes to you?

5) Prayer
Lord, I want to be so intimate with You that You will want to reveal Yourself, Your plans and Your purposes to me. Holy Spirit, help me to do the things necessary to develop a deep love relationship with You. Give me the discipline to read Your word and pray so that the Father can reveal Himself to me. In Jesus name, Amen.

John 8:48-59

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 8:48-59

 48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” 49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

 52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

3) Devotional: Here we find a continuation of the debate between the Pharisees and religious leaders and Jesus about Jesus’ message and his claims to be God. There is much to consider here, but one thing really stands out: Rather than considering the issues or even consulting the Torah, the Pharisees instead decide to attack Jesus personally. They call him insane or demon-possessed in verse 52. They describe him as unqualified and unworthy of consideration in verse 57 because of his age- in Jewish religious culture at the time, the minimum age requirement for leadership in the temple system or civil service was 50 years of age, and Jesus would have been aged 30 or 32. But the real cheap shot is in verse 48 when the Jewish leaders call him a Samaritan.

            This debate is taking place during the Feast of Tabernacles. A crowd would have gathered. The Jewish public hated Samaritans and held them in contempt- the tensions between the Jews and the Samaritans would have been similar to the racial tensions in the US during the 1950’s. It’s an accusation that implies an illegitimate birth, and is basically a racial slur. This was an effort by the religious leaders to get the public on their side- a public much more easily stirred by inflammatory rhetoric than by truth. So instead of engaging the issues, the Pharisees attack the person. Sound familiar?

            Attacking a person’s character rather than vigorously debating the issues is an age-old ugly tactic of fallen human nature. But in our modern equivalent to the Jewish religious system- the church- we find all too often similarities to the Pharisees’ approach in John 8. And it takes on a new level of ugliness when it happens in Christian circles- fights over doctrine, ministry, politics, and between people. Relationships are broken. Churches split. Bridges are burnt. Pain is inflicted. And the witness of the Church is destroyed. Often, the issues are petty and insignificant. Sometimes they are very important and SHOULD be engaged and debated spiritedly. But how we interact with each other is as important or even more important than the issues themselves. God calls us to a higher standard of interaction and discourse.

           

4) Questions to Consider: Have you ever heard truth and attacked the messenger because the truth was too challenging or painful to hear? How is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about the way you engage controversy or disagreement as you read this devotional? How might you bring more grace and peace to the people and debates in your own life, even as you relentlessly seek truth?

5) Prayer: God, help me today to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility to consider others better than myself and to not only look to my own interests but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4). Help me live and speak with grace even as I stand for and seek truth in all things. Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)