‘Disciples of Moses’ vs The Blind Man

  'Disciples of Moses' vs The Blind Man

John 8:59 - 9:41

 

As Jesus walked away from the agitated religious leaders, He came upon a man who was blind from birth. We are all born with spiritual blindness – but the religious leaders of Jesus' day did not recognize their blindness. Entrenched in their religious traditions, they thought they were "Moses' disciples." 

 

Since a disciple is someone who learns from the life of another, we could ask, "What does Moses teach by his life?" In a nutshell: Moses attempted to avenge his people in Egypt using his own wisdom and strength (Ex 2:11-14).  God sent him to the desert for 40 years to empty him of his perceived abilities. At the end of those years Moses expressed his new, humble self when he balked at the mission the Lord presented to him (Exodus 4). Hebrews 11:24-28 tells us that Moses acted "by faith" in bringing the Hebrews out of Egypt; however, it is not a life of faith the Pharisees refer to when they say "we are disciples of Moses.' Instead, their lives demonstrate the same pride as the Israelites who presumed they could keep the law when they said, "All that the Lord has spoken, we will do" (Ex 19:8; 24:3). They were blind to the fact that no matter how good their intentions, or how hard they tried, they would not be able to please God by their own efforts.

 

Jesus was sent by the Father to give sight to those who are blinded by the world – and to those who are blinded by the religion of self-effort.  He continually dealt with the Jewish leaders because their religion kept them, and those they influenced, from responding to God in faith. They thought they could 'see,' but were spiritually blind. So blind were they, that they cast the man right into the presence of Lord because

Jesus heard they had cast him out . . . and He found him . . .     Jn 9:35