Jesus found him. That suggests Jesus was looking for him. Being thrown out of the temple would have serious consequences back in those days. Jesus again shows compassion. Jesus asks him straight up if he believes in the Son of Man. Jesus is referring to himself as the Son of Man here and not the Son of God. Could it be to focus in on his humanity?
In talking with David about this passage, he shared with me the prophecy from Daniel 7 in the Old Testament. What a beautiful image of God and Jesus coming together. Jesus, the Son of Man. You can read it here.
Jesus quickly moves to why he has come, for judgment. He will separate people into two camps–those who believe and those who do not. We’ve heard that it’s God who chose you, not the other way around. Why? Lest we boast at our salvation. We believe because God has placed that desire in our hearts. We become followers and look forward to our eternal home.
What hope do those who do not follow Jesus have? They are the spiritually blind. Something has gotten in the way of their belief. Satan. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 says, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
We don’t want to be like the blind Pharisees. They were falsely leading the people. They didn’t realize the truth was not in them. The truth was standing before them and they denied it. How can we be sure the truth is in us? We can ask God to fill us and open our eyes to the truth. We’ll need to be ready for how that truth will change our world.
Our sins will be revealed once and for all. That’s not entirely a bad thing. We will see that, without a doubt, we need a Savior. We’ll also know what not to do, what thoughts to avoid, and what actions will be pleasing to God. Don’t we all want to be able to see clearly so we can be better followers?
Let’s pray. Father God, I thank you for calling me to be yours. Forgive me when I sin and fall short of the best you would have for me. Open my eyes so that I can see others as you see them. Use me as your hands and feet to be a loving presence in this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
