Slices
Prepare
What words sum up your walk with Jesus during this current season of your life?
Bible passage
Spiritual blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’
36 ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’
37 Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’
38 Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him.
39 Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’
41 Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Explore
Arriving at a destination after a long journey is a great feeling – relief that the journey is over and joy at all the destination brings. Today we read the final part of the journey of the man born blind. We have seen him go from physical blindness to seeing clearly and now his journey from spiritual blindness to spiritual sight is complete. This spiritual vision is again contrasted by John with the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees who remain blind to what is happening and who Jesus really is.
There is a wonderful simplicity to the journey of this man. It starts with struggle and pain before meeting Jesus. His encounter with Jesus is unusual as he has mud and saliva rubbed into his eyes! At the heart of the encounter, however, is one of the most precious characteristics of any disciple of Jesus – obedience, as the man follows the words of Jesus and washes in the Pool of Siloam (v 7). He then boldly defends the one who has healed him in his confrontation with the Pharisees (vs 30– 33) before his personal moment with Jesus where he expresses his belief in him, and a life of worship begins (v 38). Obedience, boldness and worship – three essential elements to the life of any disciple of Jesus.
Respond
Take a moment to reflect on these three aspects of discipleship and ask Jesus if he is encouraging you to grow in any one of these.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Isaiah 3–5; 2 Timothy 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for all the children and young people who encountered God on our holidays and missions this summer as they return to school. As they settle into new classes and schools, please pray that they will find the support they need to continue growing in faith.
Equipping you to serve your local school
Looking to serve your local school but unsure where to start? Our Introduction to Schools Ministry training could be exactly what you need.
Designed for those new to schools work, this course is aimed at schools workers and church-based youth and children’s workers – both paid and unpaid and offers a space for learning how to serve your local school well.
Join us for a full day of training and networking in either Bristol, Leeds or online.
