Spiritual Blindness.
Mat 15:1-21
Then came to Jesus
scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition
of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
But he answered and
said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your
tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He
that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever
shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou
mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall
be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your
tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did
Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in
vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
And he called the
multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into
the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth
a man.
Then came his
disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended,
after they heard this saying?
But he answered and
said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted
up. Let them alone: they be blind
leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the
ditch.
Then answered Peter
and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without
understanding? Do not ye yet understand,
that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out
into the draught?
But those things
which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the
man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which
defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Then Jesus went
thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
*
Mat 23:1-39 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his
disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say, and do not.
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on
men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their
fingers. But all their works they do for
to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders
of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats
in the synagogues, And greetings in the
markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for
one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your
father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be
ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be
your servant. And whosoever shall exalt
himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them
that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye
shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is
made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye BLIND guides, which say,
Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear
by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and BLIND: for whether is
greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever
shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift
that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools
and BLIND: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the
gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all
things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him
that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the
throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these
ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye BLIND guides,
which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but
within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse
first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be
clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like
unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within
full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly
appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of
the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had
been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in
the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye
are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure
of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I
send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall
kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and
persecute them from city to city: That
upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood
of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew
between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall
come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not! Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. For I
say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord.
*
Joh 9:1-41 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which
was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did
sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered,
Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should
be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is
day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had
thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he
anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of
Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)
He went his way
therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was
blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is
like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine
eyes opened?
He answered and
said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said
unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I
received sight.
Then said they unto
him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
They brought to the Pharisees him that
aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and
opened his eyes. Then again the
Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.
He said unto them,
He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
Therefore said some
of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath
day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there
was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou
of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?
He said, He is a
prophet.
But the Jews did not
believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until
they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your
son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
His parents answered
them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by
what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not:
he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents,
because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man
did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
Then again called
they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know
that this man is a sinner.
He answered and
said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas
I was blind, now I see.
Then said they to
him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
He answered them, I
have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again?
will ye also be his disciples?
Then they reviled
him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for
this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
The man answered and
said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence
he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not
sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he
heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of
one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
They answered and
said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And
they cast him out.
Jesus heard that
they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou
believe on the Son of God?
He answered and
said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
And Jesus said unto
him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I
believe. And he worshipped him.
And Jesus said, For
judgment I am come 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.
*
2Pe 1:1-21 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through
the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
But he that lacketh
these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if
ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Wherefore I will not be
negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know
them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as
I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing
that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ
hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease
to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God
the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the
excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this
voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the
day star arise in your hearts: Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
*
Rev 3:1-22 And unto
the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the
seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a
name that thou livest, and art dead. Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I
have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and
thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which
have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they
are worthy. He that overcometh, the
same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of
the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his
angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches. And to the angel of the
church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is
true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth;
I know thy works: behold, I have set before
thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and
hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of
Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make
them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he
shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto
the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen,
the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see.
As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me. To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
