The world of the blind
The world of the blind
Was wondering what to write for today when I happened to drive past a junction and saw a blind man walking towards a traffic light near the junction. My heart almost skip a beat when I thought he didn't know that he's reaching the end of the pavement and onto the road. Thankfully, he turned left and continued to walk along the pavement. Seeing him makes me wonder ... guess we who are blessed with sight often feel what it's like for the blind living day in and day out in their dark world.
As I ponder on this, I just felt that the blind must have gone through many tough learning journeys - to avoid being scalded by hot water or iron ... to avoid tripping and falling ... to avoid being knocked down by a car ... etc (this is definitely not exhaustive). It must have been hard for them as they try to figure their way out and learn to survive in a world of sighted people. I supposed given a choice, most of them would want to receive sight ... most of them would love to be able to see what this whole world is like ... most of them would want to walk around seeing, rather than feeling.
For most of us, I supposed one of our "problem" must have been how to relate to those who are blind - do we pity them? do we empathize with them - is there a difference?? How do we help them? Do we help them at all - do they appreciate? How do we pray for them? and so on and so forth ...
Just like most of the blind would appreciate receiving sight, I believe those who are living in the dark world of sin would love to be enlightened (aka receive spiritual sight) as well, rather than continue living, tripping and falling in the world of "darkness". Do we empathize with them and share the Good News with them? Are we afraid to share Jesus with them because we are worried they will not appreciate what we are doing?
The irony is that most of us who are sighted often fail to appreciate our sight - we think that our sight is something we "automatically" has ... and to be able to see is only reasonable and logical. Guess that's when the blind would have more to teach us - only those who have been blind, tripping and falling over in a dark world would know the delights of light. How ironic, isn't it - besides not appreciating our sight, we have often fail to appreciate our Lord as well - the One who was nailed on the cross for our sins.
Quoting from my favourite author, Max Lucado's book "A love worth giving" ... Luke 7:47 "A person who is forgiven little shows only little love." (New Living Translation). In the first chapter of the book, Lucado was showing the contrast between Simon the Pharisee and the prostitute who anointed Jesus ...
"Simon's "love" is calibrated and stingy. Her love, on the other hand, is extravagant and risky ... She came thirsty. Thirsty from guilt. Thirsty from regret. Thirsty from countless nights of making love and finding none. She came thirsty. And when Jesus hands her the globet of grace, she drinks. She doesn't just taste or nip. She doesn't dip her finger and lick it or take the cup and sip it. She lifts the liquid to her lips and drinks, gulping and swallowing like the parched pilgrim she is. She drinks until the mercy flows down her chin and onto her neck and chest. She drinks until every inch of her soul is moist and soft. She comes thirsty and she drinks. She drinks deeply ...
Simon, on the other hand, doesn't even know he is thirsty. People like Simon don't need grace; they analyze it. They don't request mercy; they debate and prorate it. It wasn't that Simon couldn't be forgiven; he just never asks to be ..." (Pg 5-6)
Most of us fall into the category of "Simon", I believe - although we are sighted, but we fail to see ... although we have received mercy, yet we fail to appreciate it deeply. Isa 6:9, Matt 13:14, Mark 4:12 and Acts 28:26 had similar words that read, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." How sad can that be! but sadly, that is the state of most of us - failing to appreciate our sight and the grace received, and most importantly, failing to share this sight with those who long to come and drink deeply from the Lord ...
Was wondering what to write for today when I happened to drive past a junction and saw a blind man walking towards a traffic light near the junction. My heart almost skip a beat when I thought he didn't know that he's reaching the end of the pavement and onto the road. Thankfully, he turned left and continued to walk along the pavement. Seeing him makes me wonder ... guess we who are blessed with sight often feel what it's like for the blind living day in and day out in their dark world.
As I ponder on this, I just felt that the blind must have gone through many tough learning journeys - to avoid being scalded by hot water or iron ... to avoid tripping and falling ... to avoid being knocked down by a car ... etc (this is definitely not exhaustive). It must have been hard for them as they try to figure their way out and learn to survive in a world of sighted people. I supposed given a choice, most of them would want to receive sight ... most of them would love to be able to see what this whole world is like ... most of them would want to walk around seeing, rather than feeling.
For most of us, I supposed one of our "problem" must have been how to relate to those who are blind - do we pity them? do we empathize with them - is there a difference?? How do we help them? Do we help them at all - do they appreciate? How do we pray for them? and so on and so forth ...
Just like most of the blind would appreciate receiving sight, I believe those who are living in the dark world of sin would love to be enlightened (aka receive spiritual sight) as well, rather than continue living, tripping and falling in the world of "darkness". Do we empathize with them and share the Good News with them? Are we afraid to share Jesus with them because we are worried they will not appreciate what we are doing?
The irony is that most of us who are sighted often fail to appreciate our sight - we think that our sight is something we "automatically" has ... and to be able to see is only reasonable and logical. Guess that's when the blind would have more to teach us - only those who have been blind, tripping and falling over in a dark world would know the delights of light. How ironic, isn't it - besides not appreciating our sight, we have often fail to appreciate our Lord as well - the One who was nailed on the cross for our sins.
Quoting from my favourite author, Max Lucado's book "A love worth giving" ... Luke 7:47 "A person who is forgiven little shows only little love." (New Living Translation). In the first chapter of the book, Lucado was showing the contrast between Simon the Pharisee and the prostitute who anointed Jesus ...
"Simon's "love" is calibrated and stingy. Her love, on the other hand, is extravagant and risky ... She came thirsty. Thirsty from guilt. Thirsty from regret. Thirsty from countless nights of making love and finding none. She came thirsty. And when Jesus hands her the globet of grace, she drinks. She doesn't just taste or nip. She doesn't dip her finger and lick it or take the cup and sip it. She lifts the liquid to her lips and drinks, gulping and swallowing like the parched pilgrim she is. She drinks until the mercy flows down her chin and onto her neck and chest. She drinks until every inch of her soul is moist and soft. She comes thirsty and she drinks. She drinks deeply ...
Simon, on the other hand, doesn't even know he is thirsty. People like Simon don't need grace; they analyze it. They don't request mercy; they debate and prorate it. It wasn't that Simon couldn't be forgiven; he just never asks to be ..." (Pg 5-6)
Most of us fall into the category of "Simon", I believe - although we are sighted, but we fail to see ... although we have received mercy, yet we fail to appreciate it deeply. Isa 6:9, Matt 13:14, Mark 4:12 and Acts 28:26 had similar words that read, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." How sad can that be! but sadly, that is the state of most of us - failing to appreciate our sight and the grace received, and most importantly, failing to share this sight with those who long to come and drink deeply from the Lord ...
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