Arkansas State press., 1944-09-29

Inc story winch presents ouE
Lord as the light and the light giver
Is that Of the man born blind. -Four
choices confront US.
I. Guesswork or Gods Glory (vv.
l-5).
Men have an inordinatc curiosity
about those who are handicapped or
crippled. Even the disciples Of Je.
sus had fallen into the sad tendency
Of seeing In one who needed their
help. a case for theological specula-
ton rather than one in whom God s
glory could be revealed.
Need without power to help Is a
depressing thing. and may encour-
age man to bit Of scientific or re-.
ligious guesswork. Here Is a speci-
men--let US examine 1t. How did
this happen? Who was responsible?
But when we know the power Of God.
guessing and theorizing Is gone.
Here is helpl
Jesus declared great truth here
suffering is not necessarily the re-
suit Of sin. nor for the purpose Of
judgment or punishment. This man
was here that God might show His
grace and power,
Those who suffer in our day may
be the means OF declaring God $
glory. either by His deliverance
from pain and sorrow, or by His
grace to bear the burden graciously
and for His glory.
ii. Inpossibility or Obedience wv.
CD.
CLAY cannot bring sight to a
mans eyes-anyone knows thatl All
such covering can do is to make
the darkness Of sightless eyes even
more impenetrable." The blind man
might have reasoned that way. He
would have been entirely logical in
so doing-and he would have gone
right on being blind.
1t Il possible to thrust from you
Gods richest blessing by insisting
that Gods work be done In accord
with your ability to understand.
But the blind man chose the ODE
dience Of faith-''he went and
washed. and came seeing" Jesus ID
the light Of the world to those who
win believe. The blind man found II
so-we may also find it to be true. II
We viii believe. The impossible be-
comes possible--with God. for with
God all things are possible" Jesus
said 1t Matt 1920; let US believe
It and act on 1t.
III. Controversy or Confession wv.
Is, 1880.
This Is a great chapter. one in
which we see the glory Of faith con.
trasted with the controversial small.
ness Of unbelieving men. The Phar.
isees were religious men. but they
hated Jesus Ga combination possible
even in our day.. so they sought in
every possible way to discredit Him,
10 deny the miracle, and to destroy
the one who was healed.
Against that dark background the
light OF this mans faith shines the
more brightly. The more they tried
to confuse him, the deeper they en-
trapped themselves, as he answered
in simple faith.
| Testimony Is tremendously ef
fective thing, even though 1t must
cling to the elementary and blessed
truth II was blind. now l see" w.
25). But note that he went on, and
under the tender ministry OF Jesus
he received his spiritual. as we'll a,
his physical, sight. II believe
what majestic words. what trans
forming words, what Notwithstanding
words Friend. do you believe or
Christi II not, will you do II right
now7
w. Healing or Hardening wv. 80
~.
The same sun which softens thu
wax hardens the mud. ne ligh
which attracts some out OF the DARK
places causes others to shrink far
Their into the shadows lest they have
TO give up their dark deeds anc
thoughts.
So II was In this case. The blint
man who had faith. saw. and tina
sight was the sight Of the soul a
well ~ Of the body. But the em
Filtered Pharisees were only hard
ened In their sin. Because the,
boosted Of their spiritual sigh, which
made the ministry Of Jesus unneces
sary las they thoughtD. there wal
nothing for Him to do but 10 leav,
them In their darkness.
The light of Christ. which Is Il
shine on the problems Of life In tn,
lessons OF the three months aheac
Of US. will either bring men 10 the
light In faith, or confirm them IL
their unbelief Which Is II 10 be Ii
your case and In that OF those Il
whom you minister