Reflective Bible Study

While reading the gospels, and while seeing how Jesus interacted with various people in many unique circumstances, I am amazed that Jesus is able to deal with each situation uniquely. Perhaps this is simply because the unique events are the ones that are remembered in a sea of regular, or unspectacular, healings. Perhaps it is also true that Jesus reused many of His illustrations and parables, but instead of simply reusing them word-for-word, He would adapt them to the groups He was speaking to.

I am also amazed that Jesus taught directly to what He saw going on around Him, whether it was because He was that observant, or because the Holy Spirit shared the thoughts of the crowd or the thoughts of certain people in the crowd with Him.

With all this in mind, we may be tempted to discount something Jesus says because it appears that it was only for one person in one specific instance. While I won’t speak for every case that the gospels include, there may be some such statements, but even statements that are for specific people in specific circumstances carry a theme, and that theme is something we can use when thinking about what Jesus might say to someone living today.

Our passage for this episode contains one example of a statement and illustration that we might be tempted to think was only for a specific person or group, but it also contains a powerful theme that is timeless. Let’s read what happens from the gospel of Luke, chapter 14, using the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 7, Luke tells us:

⁷ Then Jesus noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. ⁹ Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. ¹⁰ So when you’re invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored. ¹¹ Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”

Let’s pause briefly here because Jesus just spoke into a specific situation, but then He directly shared a big picture principle: “Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”

Continuing reading in verse 12, Luke goes on to say:

¹² Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor. ¹³ Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”

While there are several things I could bring out from this response Jesus gives, I will hold back and simply say that while this statement sounds like a specific instruction for a specific person, it also contains a theme that is much more timeless. The clue to seeing evidence of a theme here is that Jesus pushes the focus forward onto the resurrection of God’s people.

This means that Jesus could speak something similar to almost anyone living at any point prior to the resurrection of God’s people, because the theme in Jesus’ statement would be just as applicable. The powerful theme I see included here is that we are to show grace, kindness, and love towards those who cannot repay us back. While we shouldn’t neglect our friends, family, or other relatives, we should be extra intentional about including those who might not be able to pay us back or return the favor.

Jesus implies here that we will be paid back for our kindness at some point in the future. Our kindness will be repaid either in this life, by the people we chose to help, or in the next life by God who saw this kindness and is happy to repay it with kindness + interest.

Luke then tells us in verse 15 that:

¹⁵ One of those eating with him heard this. So he said to Jesus, “The person who will be at the banquet in God’s kingdom is blessed.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. ¹⁷ When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready now.’

¹⁸ “Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹ Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I recently got married, and that’s why I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, ‘Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.’

²² “The servant said, ‘Sir, what you’ve ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full. ²⁴ I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.’”

What is amazing to me most about this parable is the statement that prompts it, especially when you contrast it with what happens in the parable itself.

Someone sitting near Jesus makes a general statement that those who are included in the banquet in God’s kingdom are really blessed. It is worth noting that Jesus does not deny the man’s statement. Instead, He draws our attention onto a sobering reality that those who are God’s first choice to be included seem to value their invitation the least. The parable ends with the man, who represents God the Father, filling the banquet hall so full of other people that those who had rejected the invitation wouldn’t even be able to fit if they decided to come later – or at the very least, there would be no food left for them.

This illustration comes directly as a response to talking about the banquet in God’s kingdom, so it is not difficult to conclude that the banquet in Jesus’ illustration refers to the banquet in God’s kingdom. What is the most challenging theme for us – or at least for me – to wrap my head around is the idea of someone rejecting this incredible invitation. Was Jesus talking about those in the Jewish nation rejecting the invitation, while Christians are safe because they were “invited” second? Or is this illustration less about nationality and more about the state of our hearts and us choosing to put everything else aside when God calls us home to Him?

I am inclined to believe more along the lines of the second idea, because I can see people living today, even people who call themselves Christians, who seem to have taken their relationship with God for granted. These “convenience Christians” believe in a once saved, then-you-can-never-be-lost-no-matter-what-you-do-or-decide form of being saved, and they are almost indistinguishable from someone who truly doesn’t know God. I picture these people as taking their relationship with God for granted, and taking one’s relationship with God for granted is how someone guarantees that they will miss out on God’s banquet feast.

As we come to the close of another podcast episode, let me leave you with a set of challenges related to this key idea:

Intentionally value your relationship with God today. While I am positive your relationship with Him will be 100 times better in heaven, this shouldn’t be an excuse for us to neglect God today. If we ignore or neglect Him today, we might miss the point when He invites us to His banquet thinking that we still have time left. Instead, take each day and value the time that you spend in prayer and study with Him. This way, you will be in tune with what He is up to in the world around you.

Speaking of taking time each day to spend in prayer and study, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself so that you can learn firsthand from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. While commentaries, pastors, or even the occasional podcaster can prompt ideas, nothing and no one can replace the value of personal, regular time in prayer and Bible study. If you depend on others, you can only learn as much as they have learned – which may be less than what God really wants to teach you.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or neglect the mission and place God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

When reading the events in the gospels, we find several big themes present through the ministry of Jesus Christ. One of these themes draws our attention onto where Jesus’ life was headed.

While we don’t often think of Jesus as being a goal setter, or a strategist, we can see through many of the events in His life that He was intentionally walking a path that He knew the end to.

However, while there are several clear examples of Jesus intentionally knowing and stating where His life was headed, the event we are focusing on in our passage for this episode is not a place we might expect this theme to appear, and I wonder if there is more nuance present in this passage and event than we have recorded.

Our passage for this episode is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 13, and we will read it using the New Century Version. To set the stage for what Jesus shares, let’s start reading in verse 31, where Luke tells us that:

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod wants to kill you!”

³² Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘Today and tomorrow I am forcing demons out and healing people. Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.’ ³³ Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me. ³⁵ Now your house is left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

While it is easy to miss in this passage, did you see Jesus hint at His mission in this passage?

This hint is found in the last sentence of verse 32: “Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.” Verse 33 follows up with a similar today and tomorrow, but instead of saying “on the third day”, it simply says “the next day”. This slight shift in wording tells me that Jesus’ initial phrase is distinct and significant from His follow-up one.

When looking at this passage and event, several details stand out in my mind. First off, the whole setting of this event and discussion is interesting. The passage begins with some Pharisees, who probably didn’t really like Jesus being around, bringing Him a warning that He should leave because Herod wanted to kill Him. While this is a noble gesture and it was a legitimate threat when Jesus was a baby (though it was a different Herod then), the cynical side of me wonders if the Pharisees are masking their desires by putting words in the governor’s mouth.

An equally interesting angle to frame this event is if these religious leaders met with Herod and made the case for wanting to put Jesus to death. If these leaders met with Herod, this would allow them to be among the first to know of the plot, and providing a very truthful valid warning to get Jesus to leave their area. This would be similar to saying that these leaders prompted Herod to respond in a certain way so they could then push Jesus to leave their region with a legitimate threat – all while making someone else the villain.

However, Jesus’ response to these Pharisees and to Herod is also interesting. First, He takes a stab at the governor by calling him a fox, and then He basically tells everyone present that Jerusalem is His final destination. Part of me wonders if this message made it back to Herod, and if this message was one of the reasons Herod was in Jerusalem on the Passover weekend Jesus was crucified.

Aside from Herod’s presence in Jerusalem being documented, we don’t know why He was there, outside of his jurisdiction, except for this message that Jesus sends through the religious leaders back to him.

However, let’s shift our attention back to Jesus’ goal and the subtle hint Jesus shares about His mission. By using the phrase, “The third day”, Jesus isn’t looking directly at the cross, but at the resurrection after having faced the cross and dying the death we all deserved. On crucifixion day, Jesus gave His life for us. On the second day, the Sabbath, Jesus rested following completing the work of salvation. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave victorious.

While Jesus’ message about the first two days focus on casting out demons and healing people, the spiritual significance of these actions is the same spiritual reason He came to face the cross. Jesus came to redeem people from sin, from Satan, and from this sin-stained world. Healing people and casting out demons are the individual specific ways Jesus saved individual people, while dying on the cross was Jesus’ way to redeem humanity when Adam sinned. Paul frames this truth as Adam’s sin infecting the human race with sin, while Jesus’ sacrifice redeems humanity and opens the way for our salvation.

This slightly odd and unassuming passage in Luke’s gospel amazingly and clearly foreshadows both the cross and the resurrection. Jesus’ current, daily goal is forcing out demons and healing people, but that all leads up to His life’s big mission, where He gives His life for us on that Passover, Easter weekend.

With Jesus being victorious over sin and with His resurrection that shows us His sacrifice was accepted, what will you do with the gift Jesus offers to you? While we still live in a sin-filled world, will you accept Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf to accept the gift He offers you of a new life with Him? Jesus offers to take our sin-stained lives to the cross and give us His perfect life in replacement. His perfect life allows us to take part in the resurrection of God’s people and to share in God’s universe-wide victory celebration over sin when Jesus returns to bring God’s people home.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally place God first. Put the God who placed your life ahead of His life as your primary focus. Let the God who focused His mission on redeeming you to lead and direct your life moving forward. Never belittle your value in the face of the value God placed on your life. He gave His life for yours. He showed the universe through His sacrifice that you are worth more to Him than His own life! Never think of your worth as being less than the value of God’s sacrifice for you.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself. While other people can give you ideas to think about, always take what you learn and filter it through the truth that the Bible teaches. And, intentionally test your assumptions about what the Bible teaches against what the Bible actually teaches. Always take time to study the Bible, because it will help keep your mind sharp and your focus on God!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

When reading the gospels, it is easy to see that Jesus fulfilled all of prophecy’s requirements for the Messiah God would send when we look back on these events. However, during Jesus’ life, before the gospel writers had neatly pieced everything together, only those who were truly paying attention to what was happening saw the parallels. In many cases, the Pharisees and other religious leaders saw many of the things Jesus did as trying to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament, but they had already written Jesus off because He didn’t fit every characteristic of the Messiah that they had pieced together.

In our passage for this episode, which happens part way through Jesus’ ministry, enough time has passed for the people living in that part of the first century to know Jesus was special, and that He was sent from God. What they didn’t understand was whether He was truly the Messiah God had promised.

So in our passage, the crowd asks Jesus directly. Let’s read what happens and how Jesus responds. Our passage is found in the gospel of John, chapter 10, and we will be reading out of the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 22, John tells us that:

²² It was winter, and the Festival of the Dedication of the Temple was being celebrated in Jerusalem. ²³ Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Porch in the Temple, ²⁴ when the people gathered around him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Tell us the plain truth: are you the Messiah?”

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I have already told you, but you would not believe me. The deeds I do by my Father’s authority speak on my behalf; ²⁶ but you will not believe, for you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me. ²⁹ What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father’s care.

If Jesus had stopped talking at this point, the crowd would have simply been offended that Jesus had just told them they were not part of God’s “family-gift” to Jesus. Jesus’ words up to this point are challenging, because they basically tell those present that their unbelief has already excluded them, and if they had been paying attention, they would already know the answer to their question. In some ways, this echoes the religious leaders demand for a sign – even though no sign could be powerful enough to convince their stubborn hearts.

But Jesus continues, because He wants to push this crowd deeper, and He wants to challenge their thinking. Picking back up in verse 30, Jesus continues by saying,

³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

³¹ Then the people again picked up stones to throw at him. ³² Jesus said to them, “I have done many good deeds in your presence which the Father gave me to do; for which one of these do you want to stone me?”

³³ They answered, “We do not want to stone you because of any good deeds, but because of your blasphemy! You are only a man, but you are trying to make yourself God!”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written in your own Law that God said, ‘You are gods.’ ³⁵ We know that what the scripture says is true forever; and God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given. ³⁶ As for me, the Father chose me and sent me into the world. How, then, can you say that I blaspheme because I said that I am the Son of God? ³⁷ Do not believe me, then, if I am not doing the things my Father wants me to do. ³⁸ But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, you should at least believe my deeds, in order that you may know once and for all that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”

³⁹ Once more they tried to seize Jesus, but he slipped out of their hands.

⁴⁰ Jesus then went back again across the Jordan River to the place where John had been baptizing, and he stayed there. ⁴¹ Many people came to him. “John performed no miracles,” they said, “but everything he said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many people there believed in him.

The way John the apostle concludes this passage is powerful. In some ways, it echoes the conclusion of several previous events in his gospel. This conclusion draws our attention to the comparison between John the Baptist, who the people believed God had sent to point them to the Messiah, and Jesus Himself. When comparing Jesus and John the Baptist, the crowd observed that John the Baptist performed no miracles, but everything he had described to them about the coming Messiah directly described Jesus. It is for this reason John the gospel writer tells us that many more people believed in Jesus.

However, it is interesting to note Jesus’ closing argument as well, because it is powerful and it reveals some important pieces of human nature. Up to this point, the people wanted to grab Jesus and stone Him to death for claiming to be God, and blasphemy of this sort was punishable by death. But Jesus first diffuses their argument by pointing out that the writings of the Old Testament describes a certain group of individuals as gods (and this is gods with a lower case “g”).

Jesus then quickly backs up this statement with something they all can agree on, specifically that what the scripture says is true forever. Jesus then qualifies this argument by describing how the people who received God with a capital “G”, are called gods with a lower case “g”.

Next, Jesus then draws the focus back onto His claim, and specifically the portion of it that simply said that God (capital “G”) had chosen Him and sent Him into the world. Jesus then finishes the counter-argument by stating that it is not blasphemy to claim something that had already been defined in the Old Testament scriptures.

But Jesus then goes on to give these people an escape clause, or an out. If those present believe that Jesus had drifted or gone against what God, with a capital “G”, would have Him do, then they should discount these claims and simply believe in Him based on the miracles and good things He had done.

Earlier in this passage, the people had already validated their idea that the things Jesus had done were good. It was not for any “thing” Jesus had done that they wanted to stone Him for, but simply for the words that He spoke. Here at the end of Jesus’ challenge to them, Jesus tells them that if they still don’t believe in His claims, that they should at least believe in the truth that He was sent by God the Father because of the miracles they had witnessed. Only then would they begin to realize the truth about Him, specifically that there was an undeniable connection between Jesus and God the Father.

But the people were not ready to make that leap of faith towards Jesus, and they tried to grab Jesus to stone Him, but they were unable to. After making His statement and challenge, Jesus left there and went to another place. Jesus wanted to give these people time to think about what He had said.

What Jesus describes in this passage is powerful for all of us. In essence, Jesus says that a person’s reason for believing in Him doesn’t matter. What matters is simply that someone believes in Him. People could believe in Jesus based on His teaching; or based on what John described Jesus to be; or because Jesus was a miracle worker; or because they believed the symbol of the lamb that had been sacrificed pointed forward to Someone taking their place.

For all those living prior to Jesus’ ministry, they only had the symbol of the Lamb, but after Jesus, we now have numerous other reasons to believe. According to what Jesus tells this crowd, it doesn’t matter which reason (or reasons) we choose to believe. What matters is that we put our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him.

As we come to the close of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Continue to seek God first in your life and pick a reason, really any reason, to put your faith in Jesus. Instead of taking the skeptic’s route and looking for ways we should not believe, take the friend’s route and look for ways and things that we can believe in about Jesus. When we look for belief-worthy aspects of Jesus and His character, we are able to find plenty of validation.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn just who Jesus was, and who He is. Jesus is living forever in Heaven, and aside from His body undergoing a restoration at His resurrection, Jesus’ love, character, mission, and heart have not changed from when He was walking around with the disciples in the first century. The description of Jesus in the gospels, and what the early church modeled are the two best examples we have to learn who Jesus is and what He is like.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue our year moving through the gospels looking at events within Jesus’ life and ministry, we come to an event where Jesus shares some profound truths, but also an event that could make us wonder about God’s plan and God’s character.

In this passage, Jesus shares two profound pieces of information about God, and He ties these two details together with a miracle. Unfortunately, the truths and the miracle are often looked at separately, even though they are contained as part of one continuous event. I suspect this is because this event is a little longer than most, and it is easier to pull specific details out of it than read the whole thing.

However, while I would like to include this entire event in the reading of our passage, that would leave no time for what I want to share with you about why this event is amazing in my mind. Because of this, I encourage you to read this entire event on your own, and I will pull out the three profound sections in it that I want to draw our attention to.

Our passage for this episode is found in the gospel of John, chapter 9, and we will read it using the New Living Translation. Starting in verse 1, John tells us that:

¹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ² “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Then, summarizing what happens next, Jesus proceeds to heal the man. Picking back up a little later in this event, we continue in verse 13:

¹³ Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, ¹⁴ because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. ¹⁵ The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

Then after much debate, the Pharisees kick the formerly blind man out of the synagogue. We pick back up at the end of this event, continuing from verse 35:

³⁵ When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

³⁷ “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

³⁸ “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

³⁹ Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

⁴¹ “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

From start to finish, this entire event is designed to teach us something about God and something about ourselves. The event begins with the question, do bad things happen because we did something wrong, or because our parents did something wrong?

While each of these responses wants to direct blame towards someone, even if the someone is ourselves, Jesus’ clear response is neither, and He adds a third category that is perhaps a little more challenging than the first two. The first category allows us to place the blame on ourselves, while the second category allows us to place the blame on our parents. But this third category points to God.

While we like to point the finger and assign blame to God for the evil we see in today’s world, I wonder aloud how much of what happens in the world today is being allowed by God as an opportunity for the people of God to show the power of God to those living today?

The third category Jesus shares might make us think we should point our fingers at God for allowing the bad, but what if He returns the favor by pointing His finger back at us while saying, “This happened so that you could have the opportunity to teach others about Me and join me in helping fix this problem.”

In our passage, the immediate context for the disciples’ question is the disability of blindness in one individual, but I believe that the truth Jesus shared could extend to any area of culture or humanity that has deviated from God’s original plan.

This whole event is fascinating to me. It seems as though God orchestrated all the pieces together to help teach a truth. After Jesus has healed the blind man, we learn another key detail: Jesus did this on the Sabbath, on the nation’s official day of rest, and that means that the spiritual leaders get involved.

Through this event, not only does Jesus give a third category to why things happen as they do, He also splits up the Pharisees: One group is certain that Jesus cannot be from God, while the other group asks the insightful question about how Jesus could perform any miracle without having God’s approval in the first place. While the primary truth given throughout this event is relating to blindness, the secondary, subtle one is related to how God views the Sabbath day. We shouldn’t ignore the details present in this passage if God planned all these details out.

While I’d love to spend more time focusing on the detail of the Sabbath, it would leave us with no time left for the bigger truth present at the end of this passage.

Concluding this event, we now get to the heart of why this man was born blind, and the truth that His life was meant to be an illustration. Verse 39 is the key truth behind this whole event: “Then Jesus told him, ‘I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.’”

According to Jesus, this man was born blind to be a living witness that eyesight alone does not give someone spiritual sight. Throughout the Bible, as well as history, God has often used people’s lives as a witness to lead people to Him. This formerly blind man is an example of this: His life before meeting Jesus was filled with blindness, and after His encounter with Jesus, He had a completely new perspective.

The passage concludes with a follow-up truth to Jesus’ key point: “‘If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,’ Jesus replied. ‘But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.’”

Spiritual blindness does not equal guilt in the same way that a physically blind person cannot be charged with ignorance over breaking the speed limit. A blind person isn’t allowed to drive, so there is a bigger issue in this example that takes precedence over the knowledge of the speed limit.

The bigger issue in Jesus’ follow-up truth is that there is a group of people who claim they can see even though they are blind. Acknowledging one’s blindness allows God to work in one’s heart, while claiming sight stops God from moving. This difference is seen in the two Pharisee responses: The first group claimed sight by stating they were certain Jesus could not be from God, while the second group acknowledges the dilemma about miracles coming from a source other than God. This question admits a level of blindness, and it is a position God can use to lead people closer to Him.

This whole event is a unified teaching about God, and God’s power working in this formerly blind man’s life gave way to Jesus helping us see our blindness. I will be the first to say that while I have insights in these passages, I don’t have answers to all challenging questions. However, I know that when I lean on God for spiritual sight, He gives me the insights I need to face each day moving forward with Him.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life, and also choose to acknowledge your blindness. Ask God for help with your spiritual blindness and for eyes to see the world as He sees it.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to discover who God is and what He is really like. Choose to study with an open mind and allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead you into God’s truth.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!