“And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (KJV, John 9:38-41).
“And he said, Lord”
Father, I pray that You would hear me when I call out to You. I am thankful that You are a God Who listens to His people. Jesus, would You teach me to bow my knee to You as Lord? In the Gospels, You have told me that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” but that they will be cast out of Your presence.
I see that I have a great need not simply to call You Lord but live out my claim. If You are the Lord of my life, it will affect how I live. Work in my heart and cleanse me from defilement. You are worthy of my devotion. It is truly a blessing that You are my Lord. You are lowly and meek and will bear with me in my failures.
“I believe”
Father, I believe and pray that You will increase my faith. Cause me to believe in You and Your providential care on a greater level. Help me look to Your promises in Your Word and believe that You will fulfill them.
So often, I find that I doubt what Your Word tells me. When I see who I am in Christ, it is hard for me to believe. When I see that You have forgiven me and have raised me with Christ to newness of life, I start to believe the lies that it is not true for me. So guard my mind and my heart and teach me to fight against the enemy’s lies.
“And he worshipped him”
You are a mighty God and One Who can create a world with a mere word. No matter where I go, Your Spirit is there watching over me. You see my thoughts and know my words before I speak them. You are worthy of being praised and adored.
You have sent Your Son Jesus and shown me Your love. You have punished Your Son in my place and forgiven me for my sin. You have won the victory in Christ, and Satan has no hope of future glory. You and You alone are God, and there will never be another.
“And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world”
Jesus, teach me to submit to You as the Judge of the earth. You alone are without sin and will judge the world impartially. You know and see all things, and You will not acquit the guilty. However, while You came for judgment, You also came to save.
Your Word is amazing. The depths of the redemption plan speak of inspiration. The Judge of all the earth is also the Savior of the world. The Judge is the One Who has paid the fine for the defendant.
“that they which see not might see”
Would You open my eyes so that I might see clearly? I need to see as You see and not with sinful eyes. I have been blinded due to my sin, and I need Your help, O Great Physician. Thank You for opening my eyes to my sin. Thank You for helping me see that I stand condemned before You when placed underneath the law. I need Your help and pray that You will not let me go.
“and that they which see might be made blind”
I cannot see clearly on my own. Help me never to believe that I do not need You or that I am good enough in and of myself. Protect me from thoughts about being healthy and well while I have sin that remains in my life.
“And some of the Pharisees”
Unfortunately, I can see ways I act much like a Pharisee. I can be prideful and motivated by selfish ambition. I can love the praise of man more than the praise of God. I, too, can honor You with my lips while my heart is seemingly far from You. I, too, can make salvation more about my efforts than Your grace. I, too, can turn Your commands into mere outward acts of piety instead of a transformed heart.
Please, Father, would You not hold my sin against me? Please, would You help me to trust in Christ and love Jesus more? Guard my life against hypocrisy and a desire to be praised by man.
“which were with him heard these words”
Open my ears so that I may hear Your Words with receptivity. The Pharisees would have heard the words of Jesus, but they were not given the ability to understand. Likewise, your Word tells me that the unregenerate person can read Your Word and know what it says, but it is only by the Spirit of God that one will be made to understand Your Word.
I often tune out Your still, small voice. Please pardon my sin and convict me of my wrongdoing on a greater level. Teach me to be guided by Your Spirit and sensitive to Your voice.
“and said unto him, Are we blind also?”
I see that the Pharisees challenged Jesus’ words. Your Words should never be challenged. In the Garden, when Adam and Eve sinned against You, Satan’s assault consisted of challenging Your Words. He said, “Did God really say,” and then Satan told a lie that Adam and Eve could eat from the fruit of the tree.
Your Words are pure words, and there is no lie in them. There is no falsehood in Your Words because there is no falsehood in You. You are the epitome of truth, and Satan is the father of lies.
“Jesus said unto them”
Speak to me, Lord, like You did Samuel. Tell me the way in which You would desire for me to go. If You would rebuke me, I pray that I would listen. If You would speak words of correction, help me to learn from them.
Teach me not to be offended when You tell me something I do not want to hear. You rebuked the Pharisees multiple times in the Gospels, but they would not listen. Had they repented, they would have gained eternal life. But instead, they continued in a hard-hearted state and eventually were doomed to destruction.
“If ye were blind, ye should have no sin”
However, You have shown me how I can be forgiven for my sin. You have shown me that Christ has been offered up as a sacrifice for me. Jesus came into a sin-stricken world, a world that was filled with hatred and animosity toward You. Nevertheless, Jesus persevered and endured the cross despising the shame, and now He is seated at Your right hand. Jesus pleaded for the same people that hated Him. The people that mocked Christ were on Christ’s heart when He died. I cannot fathom His dedication to Your will and His heart for the sinner.
Instead, I only see how short I fall and how I would desire to be like Him. Take me into Your hands. Forgive me for my sin. Mold me, gracious Potter, and make me like Jesus.
“but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth”
I see that the sin of the Pharisees remained. The Pharisees took their sin to the grave. They had forgiveness and the Messiah standing before their eyes, but they wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Truly the worst outcome in life would be that my sin would remain as I go to stand before You.
Take away my sin through the death of Christ. Declare me not guilty through the righteousness of Your Son. Atone for me through the sacrificial Lamb of God. Thank You for Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.