The life of faith is supposed to be disrupted from time to time to keep us on the right path. Our journey of faith can appear like a blowing wind that will move in unexpected directions.

The Pharisees had it out for Jesus. They were looking for a reason to kill the Lord. In one heated exchange over the healing of a blind man, Jesus told the Pharisees they were spiritually blind. The Pharisees couldn’t handle that insult to their pride.

When Jesus accused the Pharisees of being blind to the spiritual reality of His presence, they replied, “Are you saying we’re blind?” (John 9:40). Jesus replied, “If you were blind you wouldn’t be guilty, but you remain guilty because you claim you can see” (vs.41). 

The sin of the Pharisees was supported by their history and religious position. They used these things to define what was true. The one who is the Way, Truth, and Life was now standing before them doing the work of the Father and they were blind to that fact. 

This story has a message for all of us. When we claim to have the last and final word from God on any subject, without the humility of heart, we will always think we hold the absolute truth on a matter and anyone who disagrees with us is subject to our judgment. The Lord cannot bless that way of thinking no matter how much history or bible verses we toss out toward those living outside the borders of our limited understanding.

Jesus expands His Kingdom by inviting His followers to step outside the borders of our current thinking. In the free space of the Spirit, it is there where the Lord will move us forward into a deeper understanding of His heart. Don’t be afraid of this journey. It is the way into the future of our faith. In this journey, the Lord will never ask us to disobey His word, only our limited understanding of Him and His word that led us into a prison cell of pride and blinded our the eyes of our discernment.