How Often Do We Miss What God is Doing?

The Man Born Blind – John 9

Dear Friends, imagine a man who has never seen the sky, a mother’s face, or the road beneath his feet. Born blind in first-century Jerusalem, he lived by begging at the temple gate. People passed him daily, some tossing coins, others stepping over him, many assuming his blindness was punishment for sin—his own or his parents’.

The disciples ask Jesus the question on everyone’s mind: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v. 2). Jesus answers neither. “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3). Then He does something startling: spits on the ground, makes mud, smears it on the man’s eyes, and says, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (v. 7).

The man obeys. He washes. He sees. For the first time in his life, colour floods in—blue sky, green trees, the faces of strangers staring back. He returns seeing.

The neighbours are stunned. “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some say yes; others, no, just someone like him. The man himself declares simply, “I am the man” (v. 9). He tells his story plainly, again and again. But the Pharisees are troubled. Healing on the Sabbath. Mud made with spit. This cannot be from God.

They question the man. They question his parents. They question him again. Each time, his answer grows bolder. “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (v. 25). When they press him to deny Jesus, he replies, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (v. 33). They cast him out.

Jesus finds him. “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (v. 35). The man asks, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus says, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” The man worships. “Lord, I believe” (v. 38).

The story is not primarily about physical sight. It is about spiritual sight. The man born blind never asked for healing, never argued theology, never pretended to be righteous. He simply obeyed, received sight, and when Jesus revealed Himself, he worshipped. The Pharisees, who claimed to see, refused to see the obvious: God had acted in their midst. They remained blind.

Jesus says at the end, “For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” (v. 39). The blind man saw and believed. The sighted leaders refused and were blinded.

We may not be physically blind, but how often do we miss what God is doing right in front of us? We can be so busy defending our position, our traditions, our understanding, that we fail to see Jesus at work. The man born blind had nothing to offer but his need. Jesus met him there. The Pharisees had everything to offer—knowledge, status, rule-keeping—and it kept them from seeing.

Today, pause in the quiet. Where are you tempted to trust in your own sight—your experience, your morality, your theology—rather than simply looking to Jesus? Bring your blindness to Him. He is still the Light of the world. He still opens eyes. And when He does, the only right response is worship.

Point to Ponder: True sight is not about having all the answers; it is about seeing Jesus and believing in Him.

Verse to Remember: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25 ESV)

Question to Consider: This week, think of one area where you feel spiritually “blind” or stuck—perhaps doubt, fear, or pride. Like the man at Siloam, take a simple step of obedience: bring it honestly to Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to open your eyes to see Him more clearly. What might change when you do?

Article written by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church