Recovery of Sight to the Blind

We will continue on our journey through God’s ministry of reconciliation. Where we have been looking at the different aspects of Jesus mission. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

We will continue on our journey through God’s ministry of reconciliation. Where we have been looking at the different aspects of Jesus mission. Let us read again what Jesus said was fulfilled in their hearing.

Luke 4:18-21 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The situation was this. Jesus had returned from His time in the wilderness. He came to Nazareth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nazareth was where Jesus grew up as a young boy. 

Jesus entered the temple. The temple was supposed to be a place where all people gathered and worshipped the eternal one. That is the creator of heaven and earth and all things good. However the spiritual leaders had made the temple a place of exclusion. Like their forefathers centuries ago, they had turned their hearts from God. They with all the others of Jewish lineage were gathered in the temple. 

After Jesus read the scripture He sat down. It is recorded that those who heard Jesus read the scripture bore witness to Jesus. They even marvelled at the gracious words Jesus spoke. For He did not talk about the vengeance of God or judgement. Instead He spoke of healing and underserved favour of God toward all people. All people of every nation, people group and tongue.

Yet knowing their hearts, what happened after Jesus read the powerful scripture from Iasaiah, Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. How they in fact are those who appear to draw near with their mouths, yet like their forefathers removed their hearts from God. They perform all the religious acts in public, yet in secret are a brood of vipers. They pridefully consider themselves superior and spiritually abuse other. So before we continue on in Luke 4 to discover how Jesus revealed their hearts we will go back to the time of the prophet Isaiah. 

As centuries before Jesus came from heaven to earth, God revealed the hypocrisy of their forefathers. 

Isaiah 29:11-19 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” 

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God revealed the hypocrisy and prideful heart of their forefathers. They were hypocritical before God, self and each other. Due to their spiritual blindness and unwilling heart they found the prophecies of Isaiah as if sealed. 

Yet in amongst it all God shares His heart for all people to be truly free. How He will do a marvellous work amongst these people. Unlike their forefathers, those in the temple listening to Jesus, saw the marvellous work that God had foretold He would do. 

Before their physical and spiritual eyes they saw how God personally and intimately came down to earth to set humanity free. To push back the darkness and illuminate God’s glorious truth. Opening the eyes of the blind. Bringing restoration of sight to all humanity. Revealing the false perceptions of God, self and others that had resulted in humanity.

In the beginning, the first man and woman could see everything through God’s eyes. Through His eyes of only good. Where each one was equal, honoured and respected. However in a moment of time, humanity chose to be one with both good and evil instead of only good. As a result, they then saw self, each other and even God through their own corrupted lens. 

Yes Jesus came to bring recovery of sight to the blind. That is spiritual, emotional, mental and physical. Jesus opened the physical blind eyes, to open humanity’s spiritual eyes. Jesus revealed who He is, the light of the world. Jesus was sent to push back the darkness and illuminate the truth about God, self and others. 

Yet not all were rejoicing at Jesus’ coming. There were those in spiritual power that wanted to prevent others from knowing the truth. They were those of Jewish lineage who like their forefathers had knowingly chosen to turn their hearts away from God. Yet they still claimed to be of God. Again Jesus reveals their hypocrisy.

Let us go to the Gospel of Jesus according to John. John wrote this gospel so that we could believe that Jesus is the saviour of all people. The Son of God who became the Son of Man. For in choosing to receive Jesus, we may have life eternal in His name.

In the gospel according to John, there is recorded dialogue between the religious leaders of Jewish lineage and a man who was born blind. Again God had done a marvellous work of wonder amongst them. Jesus has just opened the man’s physical and spiritual eyes to see.

The Jewish spiritual leaders again asked the man who was born blind but now sees, more questions. Let us read this dialogue exchange.

John 9:26-41 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?” Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.” The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 

Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

The man who was formerly blind but now he could see, testified of the truth. The truth of the one who opened his eyes. They all saw and heard the truth. 

The man whose eyes were given sight chose to receive the truth. Receive Jesus, receive God.

In complete contrast to those who claimed to be His yet had chosen to turn their hearts away from God, they refused to receive the truth. Even though they knew Jesus was the Son of God who became the Son of Man.

Yes Jesus came to bring recovery of sight to the blind. So each one can make an informed choice. To receive Jesus, receive God or to reject Jesus reject God.

Even when we have received Jesus, we can become trapped in spiritual blindness. Living in a false perception of self, others or God. Being trapped in our selfish desires, comparing ourselves with others or focusing on our circumstances, we can forget that we are set free from them. We can become blinded to the truth that we are cleansed from past offences and their destructive, controlling behaviour.

However each day is a new day to receive more of His vision, truth and power. Where we are empowered to take our eyes of the circumstances of this world. Off each and ultimately taking our eyes off self. 

Keeping our eyes on the horizon into eternity seeing through God’s eyes of equality, honour and respect is a daily journey. Taking a moment each day to surrender self will to that of our Father’s will.  Receiving from God’s character. 

The Apostle Peter describes this as adding to our faith. That is having said yes to Jesus, yes to God, each dat living in the heart and mind condition of surrender. Where we take a moment and receive more of Him.

Let us read 2 Peter 1:5-11 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter links more of God’s virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and brotherly love with recovery of sight. For if we lack the transforming work of God within us, that his more of His character, we have become shortsighted, even to blindness. 

In this context being shortsighted is a spiritual condition that has gripped this modern world in which we live. Ignoring the eternity that God has revealed, living in just the moment for self is a shortsighted spiritual condition that leads to destruction. To focus on self, or the present circumstances or comparing oneself with others is a shortsightedness that Jesus came to set us free from. 

Therefore let’s us not forget that Jesus came to give recovery of sight to the blind. To open the eyes of the blind so that we can see not only the present, but also the past, but most of all through to eternity. 

Having said yes to Jesus, yes to God, each day in continual surrender to HIm, He empowers us to see self and each other through His eyes of equality and freedom, honour and respect. Immersed in His love, living in the reality of His kingdom in our hearts and minds. 

Yes Jesus came to give recovery of sight to the blind. Praise His mighty name!

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!