Rejecting Jesus: Blindness
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts, nor turn, and I would heal them.” (John 12:40).
How can someone stare directly at the light and still claim they see only darkness? John quotes Isaiah to explain the ultimate tragedy of the Pharisees. They were spiritually blind. They couldn't see what was right in front of them. Jesus performed miracles, fulfilled prophecies, spoke with divine authority, yet they looked at him and saw nothing but a threat. This wasn't accidental blindness. It was chosen.
The verse says, “God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts.” That sounds harsh until you understand what it means. God didn't randomly pick people to make blind. He gave people over to the blindness they preferred. The Pharisees had every advantage. They knew Scripture inside and out.
They'd been waiting for the Messiah their whole lives. They had front-row seats to Jesus' ministry, yet they couldn't see him for who he was. Seeing would require change, and they didn't want to change.
Spiritual blindness isn't usually about lack of evidence. The Pharisees saw the miracles; they just explained them away. They heard Jesus' words; they just twisted them. They witnessed his authority; they called it blasphemy. They chose their interpretation over reality. And the more they rejected the truth, the harder it became to see it.
This happens today. People look at creation and see accident. They read Scripture and see mythology. They hear the Gospels and see foolishness, not because the evidence isn't there, but because accepting it would cost them something they're not willing to pay.
Maybe it's a lifestyle they'd have to abandon, a relationship they'd have to end, pride they'd have to swallow, control they'd have to surrender. So they stay blind. It's safer that way. But here's the haunting part of the verse. And I would heal them.
Jesus came to give sight to the blind, literally and spiritually. But they would need to turn, and they wouldn't. You can't heal someone who won't admit they're sick. You can't give sight to someone who insists they already see. Think about where you might be choosing blindness.
What truths are you avoiding because accepting them would be too costly? What sins are you refusing to see because naming them would require change? What parts of Scripture do you skip over because they make you feel uncomfortable? We all have blind spots. The Pharisees protected theirs.
If your heart is stirring, that's not accident. That's grace. God doesn't stir your heart to mock you. He does it to save you. The very fact that you sense your blindness means you're not beyond hope. The Pharisees' tragedy wasn't that they were blind. It was that they chose to stay that way. Don't make their mistake.
The light is still shining. Christ is still calling. And unlike the Pharisees, you can still choose to see.
Remember, spiritual blindness isn't forced on you. It's chosen through persistent rejection of the light. And Jesus still offers to heal eyes that are willing to see.
May the Lord open your eyes to His glory.
Lord Jesus, You are the light that exposes all darkness. Forgive me for the times I've chosen blindness over truth. Thank You for pursuing me even in my darkness. Open my eyes to see You clearly and fully. In Jesus' name we pray. Thank You for pursuing me even in my darkness. Open my eyes to see You clearly and fully. In Jesus' name we pray.
Song: O Praise the Name