Jesus talks a lot about eyesight. He heals people born blind and critiques religious leaders for their lack of vision. In fact, in the Gospel of John, Jesus states that he had come into the world “so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Throughout Jesus’ ministry, spiritual blindness is highlighted as a perpetual problem for the people around him. Blindness is an inability to see; likewise, spiritual blindness is an inability—quite often an unwillingness—to see the things of the Spirit. Whenever someone is unable/unwilling to recognize the activity of God, through the work or words of Jesus, they are considered spiritually blind. Spiritual blindness is an internal condition.
Whenever we believe that we’ve reached a certain level of spiritual maturity—thinking that we’ve gone as far as we can in our understanding of God, the Bible, our calling as a church member, we act in spiritual blindness. It doesn’t take into consideration that God may do something surprising or unexpected in our lives. And what happens? We stop looking! When that happens, we can miss something that can fulfill our lives in ways we never thought possible.
Why does this happen? The short answer: PRIDE. Pride is a primary root cause of spiritual blindness. It certainly was for the Pharisees in our Gospel reading. The question is: How does pride cause spiritual blindness? Short answer: in many ways. Pride distorts our perspective causing us to ignore God’s truth and become self-absorbed, ultimately resulting in a hardened heart and a inability to see their true spiritual condition. Pride leads us to believe that we don’t need God, which stops us from seeking divine help and hinders spiritual growth. Prideful people focus on their own perceived goodness, blinding them to their sinful nature and need for a Savior. Pride leads to a refusal to accept wisdom or correction, causing a stubborn, blinded state. Pride fosters attitudes of self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and an inability to recognize personal sin or the need for divine grace.
Pride keeps us from the necessary disciplines of humility and trust. Yet the call of faith is to keep our eyes open and to keep them fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-3). We must stubbornly look to HIM, even in those moments where we can’t understand what he’s doing, or where he might be leading us. As we intentionally place Jesus at the center of our lives, the Spirit will lead us to deeper experiences of healing and grace.