◎Wil Rogan (Carey Theological College, Assistant Professor in Biblical Studies—New Testament)

I sometimes wonder if we worry too much about (not) being good people. I don’t suppose we could ever claim to be good if even Jesus, when he was called good, answered, “No one is good but God alone” (Mark 10:17-18). But at least our worrying about being good makes us see that we are not good and that our very being is dependent on the grace and gift of God in Christ.

I also wonder if we don't worry enough about (not) being able to see. We don’t worry enough about whether we are able to see because we think we can see just fine. But thinking that we can see just fine is itself a kind of blindness. We see this in the Gospel of John. After healing a man born blind, Jesus says, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” (John 9:39).

We must learn from Jesus that we cannot see on our own. Our eyes need healing. We need Christ to be our optician because the world projects a very convincing image of reality, which is nonetheless untrue. We take the world’s projection of reality for granted because it is what we have always known. Although we have sight, the Gospel of John tells us, we are blind until we receive the insight of Jesus into the truth about God, the world, and ourselves. Thank God, Jesus gives sight to the blind, and, in so doing, shows us that he is the light of the world (John 9:5).

A Prayer.

LIVING LORD, we like to think that we see the world as it really is, because we can’t stand to think that the illusions we fashion to protect ourselves are just that—illusions. Do not let us become like those idols who have eyes, but do not see. Do not let us become so blind that we cannot see our own blindness. Help us see our blindness, Lord, so that we may see you and bear witness to the world about the grace we have seen. How wonderful it is to be set free by your truth. AMEN.