Week 10: Religion or Relationship -- Which One Are You Following? Part 1

In John 9 we read the account of the blind man Jesus healed. Verses thirteen through the end of the chapter focus on the Pharisees' reactions to the event. I think their comments are both interesting but heartbreaking. I fear that all too often we slip and fall into some of the same legalistic positions as the Pharisees under the disguise of religion.

Let's take a closer look at how the Pharisees handled the healing of the blind man. First of all, John lets us know in verse 14 that the healing took place on the Sabbath. This would have been a big no-no to the Pharisees as Jesus' act of healing would have been considered work and not in keeping with the Jewish Sabbath law (vs. 16).

Secondly, they accused the blind man of being a liar (vs.18) and sought out his parents for a second opinion. Now the parents feared the Jewish leaders, so they chose not to stand up for their son (vs. 20-23). They told the Pharisees to ask him what had happened because he was old enough to answer for himself. Now imagine that! Here their own son who has been blind from birth has miraculously regained his sight and they are too caught up in the religion of the day to stand up and say that Jesus, the new man on the scene, may have some credentials worth looking into.

Thirdly, because of the Pharisees own spiritual blindness, they tell the former blind man that he should "Give God the praise" for his healing and not this sinful Jesus character. Their ridiculous self-serving deductions of Chirst caused them to totally miss God; the very person they claimed to know and worship had been among them and they didn't even recognize Him.

Finally, in a fourth attempt to discredit Christ, the Pharisees question the former blind man again as to the events surrounding his healing. Now this is the part of the story that I love. I think the blind man had great, noteworthy character because as he stands there obviously surrounded by a crowd of commoners as well as the religious authority of the day, he boldly replies, "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." Don't you know you could have heard a pin drop on that cold synagogue floor! Then, for lack of nothing else to say, they question the poor man again. At this point, the man turns the tables on the Pharisees and questions them. "He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?" Well, this response did not sit too well with the Pharisees, so they reviled the man, throwing out all of their religious jargan about knowing God and Moses and so forth. The former blind man, once again a hero of Christ, stands up to them and smoothly declares, "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing."

Wow! perhaps the once blind man went on to be a preacher after his conversion because he clearly laid it all out on the line with quite intelligent deduction. No one could refute his argument...not even the Pharisees. Thus, he was thrown out of the synagogue, and beneficially so. For as the man went on his way, he again encountered Christ and this time his soul was saved (vs. 35-38).

Look back over the chapter and notice the arrogant, religious legalism that blinded these poor Pharisees. Here Christ, their promised Messiah, was right in front of them all this time and because of their traditions, laws, and pride they couldn't even see Him. Their religion had blinded them to a real relationship with Christ; and, to put it bluntly, their religion was sending them straight to Hell.

Have you ever experienced such legalism in your walk with Christ? I have and next week we'll look further into this mentality.