The man born blind

Jesus was walking with the disciples and the encountered a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus spit on the ground and made mud from the dust and saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes. Jesus told the man to wash in the pool of Siloam. When the man did so, his sight was restored. When Jesus found the man next, he asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have seen him, and the one speaking to you is he.” The man said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. (From John 9:1-38)

When Jesus asked people if they believed, it was never belief in doctrine. He was always asking if they believed in Him. He was inviting them into relationship. He is still asking. He is asking us if we believe in Him. He is not asking us if we believe in the Nicene Creed or the Apostle's Creed. He is not asking us if believe in the Virgin Birth or the existence of heaven or hell. He is not even asking us if we believe in the divinity of Jesus. He is asking us if we believe in the Risen Christ.

It is quite proper, at this point for us to ask, who is this Risen Christ. “Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe.” And the answer still is, "The one speaking to you is he.” We are asked to believe that we can hear the voice of God and that the voice we hear is from God. We are asked to believe that we can know God and have a relationship with God. And we are asked to believe, not because someone has told us that this is so, but because we have experienced God and know it to be true.

God does not care what name we use. All we are being asked is to recognize the voice. We are being asked to believe in that inward sense of God, just as we believe in our spouses and our friends. We know them, trust them and love them and we know that they know, trust and love us as well. We are asked to trust and be faithful to the voice of God within, even when it is asking us to do things that frighten us to the core. God will show us things about ourselves that we are afraid to look at. God will ask us to do things that we may be afraid to do. Every fiber of our being may be trembling in fear and saying, “No.” And we are being called to the place and trust where we can say “Yes.” We are being asked to believe that this is a voice of power, that we will be held and protected. We are being asked to believe that even when there appears to be no way forward, a way will open. We are being asked to believe that we will be healed, that our eyes will be opened. We are being called into faithfulness in all things because we can trust this voice. We are being asked to follow this voice and no other because it is the voice that leads us to wholeness.

Blessings,

Will T