Message from Carol Stines, Director of International Programs

My favorite book of the Bible is John 9 and my favorite verse is verse 25 “ …I was blind but now I see.”

One thing I love about this verse is that the recently healed blind man knew that standing up for Jesus would get him thrown out of the temple – ostracized by the whole society.  But he did it anyway. 

His parents were scared.  This is how his parents handled being asked…

¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
But the healed man had received more than his site – he knew Jesus was the Savior so he didn’t back down…
²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
And this was the result…
³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
I cheer that man and hope to meet his in Heaven some day