Many in this world are seen by others as truly blessed by God, but how many are there who are really aware of the problems faced with their wives or children or close relatives. Many people claim to be knowing God but have no idea of the love of God and the real nature of God. The eyes of only those are truly open, who learn and live according to God’s plan and will for them. Identifying the one with their spiritual eyes open and those who are blinded by their worldly ways is difficult to clearly define.
How could the chosen of God reject their Messiah? The main role of the Jewish High Priest and other priests was to be the mediators between God and the people. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy place in the Temple or the Tabernacle. He was permitted to go in only on the Day of Atonement, once a year, first with the blood of the sacrifice to atone for his own sin. Only after that could he offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people and offer the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant. As per Jewish custom, the Levite priests were to be teachers of the Law of Moses to the people to help them live right. However, in their zeal for this, they added so many other laws to the list given by God, about the right way to live that the number reached 613, almost impossible to remember and follow for anyone.
The Word of God is supposed to be a guide to show us the way to live a righteous life so that the whole of creation would be benefited. When we start doubting the very love of God, we start turning away from Him and start following the lies of the devil, who is known as the ‘deceiver’. In our journey of life, it is necessary to understand the ways he uses to deceive us. His basic effort is to lead us away from the truth of God’s Word and follow his half-truths and lies hidden as truth. To overcome this, God, our loving Father, has blessed us with the indwelling Holy Spirit and the gift of discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). Lord Jesus was alone and faced the onslaught of the devil and his demonic spirits by not only identifying his lies and deceit but actively quoting and leaning into the truth of the Scripture (Matthew 4:3-10). As we study, meditate upon and embrace the truth of the Scripture, the light of God helps us shun darkness.
God desires that we as His children take pride in this fact. The Pharisees and the Chief Priests were full of pride in their status and knowledge of Scripture. In their blindness they opposed the Living Word, the Son of God, from the very beginning of His ministry, by applying various tricks to trap Him and thus condemn Him. Lord Jesus told them their true spiritual state, ‘You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it’ (John 8:44). For a devout Jew, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees were blessed by God but for the Son of God, they were blinded by the devil. The greater test of our spiritual awareness is not only in avoiding the darkness of evil, for most will fail at some time or the other, but the test is about remembering and appreciating the love of God with gratitude for His blessings. When we step from this blessed state into blindness we start taking everything as a right and as it is the norm in society, what others do for us is also seen in the same way.
God told Abraham about freeing his descendants from the slavery of Egypt of four hundred years. But with that, He also promised, ‘the nation whom they serve, I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions’ (Genesis 15:13-14). Moses was sent to free them and as judgement, the Ten Plagues afflicted the whole of Egypt. The people of the mightiest nation of that time were so fearful of the Israelites after such great devastation in the land that they gave the Israelites what they asked for (Exodus 12:36). And in this way, ‘they plundered the Egyptians’. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, proclaimed himself to be god, while boasting of all the abundance there. He was blinded and blessed as a king and suffered by challenging the True God.
The Chief Priests, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, in their knowledge of Scripture, were so filled with pride that their eyes were covered by the lies. However, after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Lord Jesus into heaven, the understanding of the people changed. After the Day of Pentecost, ‘the Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith’ (Acts 6:7). The Word of God, being light, opens the blind eyes of the hardest unbeliever, to lead them to faith (Psalm 119:105). This spiritual blindness is not permanent and the ‘scales of the eyes’ of unbelief fall and recognition of truth happens. I have always maintained that anyone who reads the Holy Bible must let go of all his past beliefs first and thus learn and follow the truth. Let the Word make a place for itself in the heart of man to remove blindness and come into His light.
Symptoms of spiritual blindness – Most people are more concerned with the perception of others about themselves, that they live a double life, first, of those inside their homes and then about others. Lord Jesus described such people as hypocrites and those who ‘love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men’ (Matthew 6:5). The Pharisees and the Jewish leaders were more concerned with maintaining a façade of religiosity rather than about their relationship with God. Adam hid himself from God in fear, for he was naked and God asked him, ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ (Genesis 3:10-11). God’s question to all of mankind is the same, who told you about your present situation being incurable. We can connect this to all that we hear from others.
Apostle Peter was the only one in the storm who sought permission of Lord Jesus to walk on water towards Him (Matthew 14:28-30). His brother Andrew and the ten other disciples might have tried to restrain him but he stepped out of the boat. The devil keeps on whispering in our ears about our past and the ill-effects of all that on us. Even while walking on water, an impossible act for a human being, he became temporarily blinded by the storm.
Lord Jesus, while teaching in the Temple courts said, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’ 9 John 8:12). Those who are blinded to this basic truth, remain in darkness, stumbling along in life. In Bethsaida, our Lord brought light into the blind eyes of a man (Mark 8:22-25). On being asked, he first answered, ‘I see men like trees, walking’. Many, in their unbelief, claim that even Lord Jesus could not heal a person in one go. The Creator, by whom, through whom and for whom everything was created, in their blindness, is thus seen weak (Colossians 1:16). He first opened the spiritual eyes of the blind man, for a righteous man is ‘like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in season’ (Psalm 1:3). And in any case, we are the branches of the True Vine – Lord Jesus touched his eyes again and he could see clearly.
The problem is not for those who know about their spiritual blindness and seek the Lord to open their eyes and are healed to see, receive and walk in His light. They become fruitful and a blessing to many others by helping them come into that same light. Their blindness never leaves those who cannot see and perceive the truth, and are also not aware of that. I have presented the Holy Bible to a lot of people after speaking to them about salvation in and through Lord Jesus. Many refuse but others, though not sure, receive saying, ‘Let God have the final say in my life’. Such people are saved, like the father of the mute boy, who was oppressed by the demonic spirit and healed after Lord Jesus’ transfiguration, had sought the Lord, saying, ‘if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us’ (Mark 9:20-25). Our Lord’s answer is for all of us, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’.
When the voice of darkness becomes too strong, casting doubts about our faith and keeps dragging us back into the pain of our present situation, it is time to aggressively focus on the Word. David could say in faith, ‘there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether’ (Psalm 139:4-7). Accepting the Omnipresence of God he could say, ‘Where can I go from Your presence?’ When we realise our absolute dependence on God, we are strengthened, guided and led by Him on the paths that He has chosen for us. Then we live in His light and be light to someone else’s blindness also.
Blindness in spite of great and strong faith – Everything in the whole of creation has a source from whom all the resources like food, house and even this life itself come. This Source is God in heaven, the Creator, Provider and Sustainer of everything. At the time of creation, ‘God said, ‘Let there be light’ and this light transformed the earth into becoming a productive source for all living beings on earth (Genesis 1:3). The Garden of Eden became the source, with all the trees and their fruit as the resource from God. Eve was turned away from the Source and was made to focus on the resource, thus committing the sin of unbelief in God. In this manner, we get blinded to one and serve the other.
Teaching about this blindness, Lord Jesus told a parable to the people (Luke 12:16-21). A rich man had an abundant crop, with not enough room to store his crops. He planned to pull down the old stores and, in their place, build a large storage space. He rejoiced in himself with the ‘goods laid up for many years’ and planned to eat, drink, and be merry’. He looked at the resources to enjoy his life, while ignoring God, the Provider of it all. He was warned by God about his coming death on the same day. Our Lord, further warned, he who lays up treasures for himself, can never be rich toward God. We must receive, look unto Him in heaven, thank Him and lay aside a part for God’s work and for the needy. Only then can we claim to be blessed and not blinded.
Lord Jesus attended the marriage in Cana with His disciples and His mother were also present (John 2:1-10). A crisis situation of finishing the stock of wine happened and His mother sought Lord Jesus’ help. Our Lord told her, ‘My hour has not yet come’, and she immediately shifted her focus from the resource to the Source. The servants were told, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it’. Judas Iscariot was with Lord Jesus for a long period of three years but could never focus on the Source. ‘He was a thief, and had the money bag; and he used to take what was put in it’ (John 12:6). With such blindness, it was easy for him to betray the Lord who had trusted him.
But how could anyone so close to the Lord betray Him? The devil shows us such lies with the offer of becoming our own god. We are warned by Apostle Paul about ‘false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). The Light of God and His Word, in us and surrounding us is shown to be weak by these agents of darkness. We further learn that this happens ‘For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light’. When he pulls the wool of temptation over our eyes, we get blinded and like Eve, fall for his lies.
How can a believer prevent this in his life? The Creator God has seen the major weakness of mankind, for as a sheep needs a regular shepherd, so do every human being. Lord Jesus promised us ‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit’ to be our Teacher, Guide and Provider of all spiritual gifts (John 14:26). Despite this, many believers keep asking for confirmation of this in their lives. The devil has made speaking in tongues as the main gift, while the Scripture is clear that these gifts are as per our role and ‘His will’ (1Corinthians 12:8-11). We must seek the gift of discernment of spirits, along with the other gifts, to be able to separate a lie from the truth.
Second, we are advised to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts’ (Roman 13:14). In this manner we must make His Word, His presence and His character fully part of our being, guiding our thoughts, desires and longings towards righteousness.
Third, be a right leader ‘blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not given to money’ (Titus 1:7). Apostle Paul further guided his disciple, who was left as a Pastor at the island of Crete, to ‘remind them (the Cretans) to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work’ (Titus 3:1). Everyone is a leader in his own house first and may be in someplace else in the Church or at his workplace. Do we follow these guidelines or do we live like the Pharisees?
Fourth, blindly believing the false teaching on YouTube and many other avenues. The great Apostle Paul and Silas taught in the Synagogue at Berea (Acts 17:11). The people there, ‘received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so’. When we try to discern the truth, our indwelling Teacher starts helping us understand and follow the truth. The light is there and it is up to us to walk in it or follow the darkness of evil.
Satan has forever been involved in leading us into and then bind in his lies or half-truths. When we start accepting the Word of God as the ‘Light of life’ and remain committed to live by that, we can push him away from us. This is a continuous process and the moment we turn and look away from the Word, an accident definitely happens. Our good and with that, eternal life is only through holding on to and clinging with absolute dependence on Him!
