Faith without religion.
Hebrews 12: From Old Covenant to Unshakeable Spiritual Kingdom
In the story of the man born blind from John 9, we find a profound illustration of how God reaches out to humanity and how individuals respond to His call. As Jesus navigated through the temple grounds, He encountered a man who had been blind from birth. This man represents all of us, born into a world where we are often blind to the divine light.
The narrative unfolds with Jesus performing a miracle, applying mud to the man’s eyes and instructing him to wash in the pool of Siloam. This act symbolizes God’s grace reaching out to us first, offering us the chance to respond. The story raises theological questions about the nature of salvation and the roles of divine grace and human agency. Some believe that God must initiate the process entirely, while others argue that humans have the capacity to seek God.
The man born blind chose to respond to Jesus’ invitation, illustrating that while God extends His grace, it is up to each individual to accept it. This choice is not always easy, as it often leads to rejection by societal powers that prefer to keep people in the dark. The man faced such rejection from the religious leaders, who questioned his healing and ultimately cast him out.
Yet, the story doesn’t end there. Jesus sought out the man once more, offering him the opportunity to believe in the Son of God. The man’s journey from physical blindness to spiritual sight is a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace and the importance of our response to it. His declaration of faith and subsequent worship of Jesus highlight the ultimate goal of this divine-human interaction: a relationship with God that transcends physical sight and enters the realm of spiritual understanding.
