Thoughts on the Gospel of John (74) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, he hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. They answered and said to him, You were completely born in sins, and you are teaching us? And they cast him out.
John 9:31-34.

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (74)
The beggar whose eyes had been opened understood more about divine truth than the learned Jews who claimed to be "Moses' disciples". They considered Jesus to be a sinner (v.24), whereas he referred to Holy Scripture. The Lord had presumably prayed to God concerning this miraculous sign. So the healed man could refer to verses like Proverbs 15:29: "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous," which the Pharisees knew, too, but disregarded totally.

How illogical unbelief is! Since the beginning of the world there had never been such a miracle, yet they asserted that the benefactor was a sinner: "If this man were not from God, he could do nothing", the man retorted. His simple faith led to a correct conclusion: Jesus had been sent from God.

The religious leaders could neither deny the facts nor refute the man's conclusion. Being too proud to accept the truth from a simple, unlearned person, they cast him out. Jesus had already denied that blindness was always a result of some sin, yet this was the very untenable reproach that His opponents used to abuse and cast out the one healed.

Whoever confesses Jesus Christ must reckon with being excluded somehow; however we can always count on help from Jesus Himself.

(to be continued next Sunday)

Today's reading: Exodus 9:17-35 · Luke 4:1-13