Scripture

John 9:39-41 (NIV)

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

Consider

Jesus had just healed a man who had been blind from birth. Not only could this man now see in the physical sense, but Jesus had also restored his spiritual sight. The man, grateful and humble, now “saw” Jesus’ divinity and worshiped him.

Meanwhile, the religious leaders engaged in theological arguments about what the miraculous healing meant. Jesus challenged the prideful stance of the Pharisees, who were more concerned about the miracle being illegally performed on the Sabbath than whether they were in the presence of the very God they claimed to serve.

The Pharisees were shocked and indignant when Jesus declared that, for all their knowledge of Jewish law, they were spiritually ignorant and blind to the truth God had set before them.

Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to an attitude of humility, that is, to a soul-deep recognition and acceptance of our helpless dependence upon God. Humility is the grace that opens our eyes to the truth about who we are in relation to God and to each other. We may seem insignificant in the vast, created universe, yet we each are infinitely precious and unique to our loving Creator. Humility calls us to live in the wonderful reality of God’s goodness to us. We cannot merit our Creator’s attention, yet God is pleased to love, save, and bless us, and call us his children.

Pride blinds us to this beautiful and saving reality. In our pride, we don’t recognize the sin in what we do, so we feel no urge to turn to God to confess and repent. Pride keeps us ignorant, compelling us to dismiss important truths that could teach us about our true worth, challenge our lies and wrong assumptions, and show us how to treat one another with love and respect.

Even as pride keeps us in darkness, the Spirit can enlighten us through humility. Humility is the gentle grace that helps us to see as God sees. Living in light, we can face the reality of our lives without shame or the need to hide. We can begin to repair the damage caused by pride in our relationships with God and with each other, and re-create a self-image that is grounded in God’s love and saving mercy.

Pray

FATHER, I don’t like to admit that I am unworthy to live in your holy presence. Pride convinces me that I am a pretty good person who deserves your favor. Forgive my presumption. Help me to see myself in true perspective, as a helpless sinner, not to beat me down but so that I can see how you lift me up. Show me also how pride has kept me blind and ignorant in my relationships. Help me to repair the damage and hurt I’ve caused, and to forgive others whose pride has caused me to suffer.

Reflect

Psalm 8:5-8; Philippians 2:3-4;  1 Peter 5:5-6

Ponder

How has pride caused a conflict in your life by blinding you to a truth you did not want to face?