Eyes Wide Shut

Physical vision problems are a worldwide concern.  The World Health Organization shares the following estimates: “Globally, 1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.  This 1 billion people includes those with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to unaddressed refractive error (123.7 million), cataract (65.2 million), glaucoma (6.9 million), corneal opacities (4.2 million), diabetic retinopathy (3 million), and trachoma (2 million), as well as near vision impairment caused by unaddressed presbyopia (826 million).”*  If you or someone you love has vision issues, no one has to tell you how difficult it can be.

In the trial of Jesus before the Jewish leaders in John 18:28-40, we see another kind of “vision” problem at work: spiritual blindness.  This blindness was driven by their hatred of Jesus and revealed itself in the following ways:

 

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to worry about ceremonial defilement while ignoring moral defilement (18:28).  They were rail-roading an innocent man toward his death but were concerned about defiling themselves by going into the Roman Praetorium.

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to take refuge behind a law and system they despised (18:31; 19:15).  Most Jews hated the Roman occupation of Judea and chafed under the burden.  But in this case, they are willing to claim: “We have no king but Caesar.”

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to choose a murderer, insurrectionist, and thief over the sinless Son of God (18:38-40).  They have one final chance to do the right thing and have Jesus released.  But they choose a criminal over the Christ.

 

            It has been said that there are none so blind as those who will not see.  This text bears that out.  These Jewish leaders are following in the steps of their ancestors who were rebuked by Jeremiah: “‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see; who have ears but do not hear” (Jeremiah 5:21).  How incredibly sad.

 

God loves you!

Mike

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment