When He Sees- He Is Blinded.

A Blind Man Sees- 

Yesterday we were talking about Paul and his conversion. It was mentioned that Paul had to endure so much. Even prior to his conversion he was following God's laws to the letter and believed himself to be doing God's will, not his own. When he went after the Christians he did so with the honest intent that he was in the right and they were in the wrong. He believed God hated the Christ followers because they were all blaspheming Him.  When Paul was asked by Jesus  why he was persecuting Him, Paul didn't answer that He was persecuting Him because He was a liar, a blasphemer, an imposter. Paul was shocked. Paul said this--

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Who art thou, Lord? This is what Paul asked Jesus.  And Jesus answered, I am Jesus…

Paul then said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Paul DID NOT rail at Jesus and tell Him that He was evil and He was going to destroy all His followers. Why didn't Paul do that? He'd been so sure that he was following God's will right up until that very moment of realization that Jesus was really the Messiah! What changed his mind was the MIRACLE he was witnessing firsthand. Just seeing Jesus, just hearing the declaration of the Lord, being shrouded in the light of God, all of this revealed to Paul's heart the truth, the real truth.  Paul could accept that truth because he wanted to know truth, he wanted light, he wanted to follow God from His heart and he always had.   So yesterday the question was raised why didn't Paul recognize Jesus when He walked the earth? Why hadn't Paul been a convicted of the truth then?  And the answer given yesterday was the possibility it was for the glory of God to be revealed and the following is worth reading fully to comprehend a bit more. All by the grace and mercy, the will of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

Joh 9:1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 

Joh 9:2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 

Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 

Joh 9:6  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, 

Joh 9:7  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. 

Joh 9:8  The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 

Joh 9:9  Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 

Joh 9:10  Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 

Joh 9:11  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. 

Joh 9:12  Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 

Joh 9:13  They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 

Joh 9:14  And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 

Joh 9:15  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. 

Joh 9:16  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. 

Joh 9:17  They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 

Joh 9:18  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. 

Joh 9:19  And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? 

Joh 9:20  His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: 

Joh 9:21  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. 

Joh 9:22  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. 

Joh 9:23  Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. 

Joh 9:24  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. 

Joh 9:25  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. 

Joh 9:26  Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? 

Joh 9:27  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? 

Joh 9:28  Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

Joh 9:29  We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 

Joh 9:30  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. 

Joh 9:31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 

Joh 9:32  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 

Joh 9:33  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 

Joh 9:34  They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 

Joh 9:35  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? 

Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 

Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 

Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 

Joh 9:39  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. 

Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

*******

Paul, that the works of God should be manifest, was allowed to be blind when our Savior walked the earth for a three year ministry. Paul was blind when Jesus was put to death, and Paul was still blind as Stephen was stoned.  Paul remained blind spiritually until Jesus revealed Himself to him, and as he received spiritual sight he was physically blinded for three days.

More on all this tomorrow, by the will of God!  All in His love!