I Was Blind But Now I See!!!
Psalm 119:65-72
Teth
65 Do good to your servant
according to your word, Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Reflection: David cries out to the Lord to continue to teach him the way of knowledge and good judgment. He vows to trust God even when things around him are going south. People are dragging his name through the mud, but he vows faithfulness to God first before trying to win approval from all the people. He even accepts God’s discipline, which we will see also in the passage below. David is not above the Law and is humble enough to see his inadequacies. This is the kind of man God used mightily and the type of man/woman he is looking for today.
2 Samuel 15:30-16:23
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” 13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?” 18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” 20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” 21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.
Reflection:
As we see a shift in power from David to Absalom, rather than seeking revenge as his confidants want, David accepts the rebuke from Shimei son of Gera, who was from Saul’s house. Again we see the remarkable restraint of David, as he could have easily retaliated on Absalom and those who supported his conspiracy, which is also done from selfish motives. But David has allegiance to something higher than human lust for power, he is a man after God’s own heart. David responds by saying if this is of God let it be, for perhaps God may restore His covenant blessing to me.
This is very important when we realize we are part of God’s covenant promise and God will do good to us, and He has conferred upon us a kingdom that will never end. But we know as we seek to bring God’s kingdom here on earth there will be conflict with the kingdoms of this world. Jesus said to his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble but I have overcome the world.” He said, “My kingdom is not of this world if so my servants would be fighting to deliver me.” As we advance God’s kingdom we shouldn’t be surprised if there is resistance and even attack on who we are, but we must remain firmly planted in our identity as sons and daughter of God, which is where we build our sense of self confidence.
John 9:13-34
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Reflection: In this almost humorous scene the Pharisees try to discount what Jesus has done for this blind man by first summoning back the man to tell them what happened. He simply says, “I was blind he put mud on my eyes and now I see.” Then he testified, “He is a prophet!” Then they called the parents and they basically say the same thing but are afraid to acknowledge Jesus as the one who did it, “Our son was blind and now he sees, go and ask him!” They call the man back and almost indignantly he says, “Why do you want to hear it again, do you want to become his disciples too?” He apparently hit the hot button because they say, “No we are Moses disciples!” The man said well how could Jesus do this how do you explain that??? Then they throw him out because he is being a little too convicting for them!
We see the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts in the midst of hard evidence that Jesus is doing the things which would lead them to believe He was the Messiah. They were so steeped in their religion they could not see the author of the Law of Moses right in front of them. Before we judge the Pharisees, we might want to ask, “How do we do the same thing today?” Have we gotten so comfortable in the ways we do things in the church that we miss out on what Jesus wants to do in our midst? Have we institutionalized what we deem as success in the church today (i.e. ABC’s=attendance, buildings, cash) and missed out on what Jesus wants to do in the hearts and lives of the people we serve??? Just asking the question!
I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed. Ezekiel 34:16
Christ says, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” John 6:39
O gentle Shepherd, you do not lose sight of even one lost sheep. Help us to see the lonely, hidden and quiet ones within our midst. Whom have we overlooked this week, even within our own congregations? Increase our awareness and open our hearts. Amen.
Teth
65 Do good to your servant
according to your word, Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Reflection: David cries out to the Lord to continue to teach him the way of knowledge and good judgment. He vows to trust God even when things around him are going south. People are dragging his name through the mud, but he vows faithfulness to God first before trying to win approval from all the people. He even accepts God’s discipline, which we will see also in the passage below. David is not above the Law and is humble enough to see his inadequacies. This is the kind of man God used mightily and the type of man/woman he is looking for today.
2 Samuel 15:30-16:23
Shimei Curses David
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” 13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?” 18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” 20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” 21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.
Reflection:
As we see a shift in power from David to Absalom, rather than seeking revenge as his confidants want, David accepts the rebuke from Shimei son of Gera, who was from Saul’s house. Again we see the remarkable restraint of David, as he could have easily retaliated on Absalom and those who supported his conspiracy, which is also done from selfish motives. But David has allegiance to something higher than human lust for power, he is a man after God’s own heart. David responds by saying if this is of God let it be, for perhaps God may restore His covenant blessing to me.
This is very important when we realize we are part of God’s covenant promise and God will do good to us, and He has conferred upon us a kingdom that will never end. But we know as we seek to bring God’s kingdom here on earth there will be conflict with the kingdoms of this world. Jesus said to his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble but I have overcome the world.” He said, “My kingdom is not of this world if so my servants would be fighting to deliver me.” As we advance God’s kingdom we shouldn’t be surprised if there is resistance and even attack on who we are, but we must remain firmly planted in our identity as sons and daughter of God, which is where we build our sense of self confidence.
John 9:13-34
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Reflection: In this almost humorous scene the Pharisees try to discount what Jesus has done for this blind man by first summoning back the man to tell them what happened. He simply says, “I was blind he put mud on my eyes and now I see.” Then he testified, “He is a prophet!” Then they called the parents and they basically say the same thing but are afraid to acknowledge Jesus as the one who did it, “Our son was blind and now he sees, go and ask him!” They call the man back and almost indignantly he says, “Why do you want to hear it again, do you want to become his disciples too?” He apparently hit the hot button because they say, “No we are Moses disciples!” The man said well how could Jesus do this how do you explain that??? Then they throw him out because he is being a little too convicting for them!
We see the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts in the midst of hard evidence that Jesus is doing the things which would lead them to believe He was the Messiah. They were so steeped in their religion they could not see the author of the Law of Moses right in front of them. Before we judge the Pharisees, we might want to ask, “How do we do the same thing today?” Have we gotten so comfortable in the ways we do things in the church that we miss out on what Jesus wants to do in our midst? Have we institutionalized what we deem as success in the church today (i.e. ABC’s=attendance, buildings, cash) and missed out on what Jesus wants to do in the hearts and lives of the people we serve??? Just asking the question!
I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed. Ezekiel 34:16
Christ says, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” John 6:39
O gentle Shepherd, you do not lose sight of even one lost sheep. Help us to see the lonely, hidden and quiet ones within our midst. Whom have we overlooked this week, even within our own congregations? Increase our awareness and open our hearts. Amen.
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