Open for a Miracle
John 9:32-33
Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He wouldn’t be able to do anything.
The man healed of blindness knew Jesus had a power like no one else. Such a power could only come from God. A sinner following the instructions of the Devil certainly couldn’t perform such a miracle. Only the power of God could have healed him, and he knew it. While he presented a completely logical argument to the Pharisees, they still didn’t believe Him. They discredited his testimony by accusing him of being born into sin and having no right to try to teach them anything. They refused to listen to him because they could not refute his argument, and it was not the answer they wanted to hear. Therefore, they dismissed him.
The Pharisees failed to realize they, too, were born into sin. They did not understand their own need for a savior and refused to accept the miracle in front of them. To receive the miracle as an act of God meant they were inferior in some aspect and did not have God’s full approval since they had no power to perform such a miracle. They could never let the common people realize this because that would destroy the control they had over them and diminish their income and social status. Therefore, the Pharisees denied the obvious and rejected the truth.
When we encounter acts that could only be the work of God, do we welcome them or reject them? Do we try to explain them away because of unbelief, or do we celebrate and give glory to God? The man born blind fully realized he had received a miracle and had no problem giving God the glory. Those who were threatened by God’s work looked for an excuse to reject it. The blind man knew no one else on earth could help him, and he was dependent upon an act of God for healing. That placed him in the proper place to receive a miracle because he could give no one else the glory nor take it for himself. If the Pharisees had experienced or performed the miracle, they would have attributed it to their own self-righteousness. Their theology – how they saw God – prevented them from receiving or performing miracles.
God does not look for those who are “good” enough to receive His power. He looks for those who are completely dependent upon Him. He looks for people who will display His glory and not try to attribute it to anything they have done. To those who are completely dependent upon Him and cannot help themselves, He can work miracles. To those who think they have earned something because of their good works, God will do nothing.
How we view God and how we view ourselves are the two most powerful perspectives we hold. God uses us to display His glory on this earth; we cannot use Him to display our own glory. Therefore, we must be completely dependent upon Him to see His power manifested in our lives. If we are depending upon anything else – our works, morals, or ambitions – we will fail to see the true power of God. We must be completely surrendered and completely dependent upon Him. While that may appear to place us in a very vulnerable position, there is no place more powerful to be. We must decrease so He may increase. At that point, we are truly open for a miracle and a great move of God in our lives.
Have a blessed day!