You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked – Rev. 3:17

Tucked at the end of the narrative of the healing of the Man Born Blind (Jn. 9:1-41) is an interesting exchange between Jesus and some of the Pharisees (39-41). Cut to the heart by a statement Jesus made, the Pharisees asked if they were blind too (40). In response, Jesus made this profound statement: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (41).

Spiritual blindness is a very deadly disease. A person may be living in pitch darkness, oblivious to the spiritual realities of their time; yet, they may claim insight into God’s word. Jesus is the Word of God (Jn. 1:1) who became flesh and dwelt among us (14). In Him is life and that life became the light of humanity to reveal God to the world and the way back to Him (4). Yet, the world failed to recognize Him (5). For, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).

The Pharisees claimed to know God, yet they could not recognize Him in Jesus, despite the overwhelming evidence of His life, sayings, and miracles. The man born blind was one of the many miracles that testified to the deity of Jesus. His healing was a clear testimony to that fact, and he testified to it (Jn. 9:30-33). Regardless of the evidence, the Pharisees would not believe. How spiritually blind they were! The man born blind, however, acknowledged his blindness and received his sight, both physically (7) and spiritually (37-38). But, to the Pharisees who claimed they could see, in spite of their blindness, Jesus said their guilt remained (41b).

Unfortunately, many Pharisees abound in the church today. They have heard of Jesus and have come to follow Him. They sit under His word and rejoice at the revealed insights and the blessed promises. Some are so intellectually sharp that they can teach the word or preach it. Some are so emotionally connected that they cry and pray heaven down in worship services. Others, like Judas Iscariot (Lk. 9:6, 10:17), are even used by God to heal and deliver the oppressed (Matt. 7:22). The reality, however, is that their hearts are far from Him (23). That is why the Apostle Paul admonished us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).

There still remain those who are actually born again, but have developed twisted values due to the encroachment of worldly principles into the church. Spiritually, they have become stale and lukewarm, yet, they claim spiritual fervency. They “do not realize that [they] are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17).

That is the wickedness of spiritual blindness. It is the tyranny of the rule of darkness. It has the power to cause the unbeliever to dismiss their eternal condemnation before God (Rm. 3:23, 6:23), and to make the believer oblivious to the reality of their dismal standing with Jesus, their Lord. The church in Laodicea came under such spell, and Jesus said He was about to spit them out of His mouth (15-16).

Jesus prescribed for them, a shaking by trials to awaken them from their spiritual lethargy, so that they could begin to walk in righteousness again (18). It is a prescription we would be wise to accept and be counseled by today. As Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (22).