May 17
1 Sam 20:1-21:15 | PS 113:1-114:8 | Prov 15:15-17 | John 9:1-41
Many view the Bible as a daunting book to get through. Many have been told and believe it is too difficult to comprehend without others. Yet, it is indeed a book and should be approached that way. God is truly the author of this Book, though He used over 40 authors, from 3 continents, using 3 different languages, over 1400 years to write, this compilation of 66 books. So, which of these 66 books is most important? All of them. Why have there been so many odd ways to approach it? Some just open the Bible and read whatever portion the pages open up to. Others read daily devotionals only, in which a verse or two is followed by the writings of an author to apply those verses. Many will read only certain portions to the exclusion of others. But this is not the way we were taught to read books in school. We were taught to read from cover to cover and to read the book completely. So, when I urge people to read the Bible, I offer to jump on the One Year Bible Plan. But if this is not what they desire, I tell them to read complete books. If you are going to read John, then read all 21 chapters of John over however many days they want. But the reading should be daily, and the next book should not be started until the book they are reading is finished. I also remind them that John wrote John without chapters and verses. Chapters were added in the 1200's, and verses in the 1500's. Though helpful for cross referencing, these artificial breaks sometimes break the flow of what the author is conveying.
Consider our reading over the past few days. We have read John 8-9 over the past 4 days. It is helpful when you begin the next day's reading to familiarize yourself where you left off the day before, lest you miss a point the author is making. John 8 illustrates the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders. In Jesus 8:12, we read, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”" This statement is followed by much debate between Jesus and the religious leaders who were blinded as to who Jesus truly is. Often it is prejudice, preconceived ideas, and traditions which blind individuals from the truth. We then approach chapter 9 which should flow directly from chapter 8, as we move spiritual blindness into physical blindness. Jesus healed the man of his physical blindness. When the spiritually blind Pharisees now interrogate the formerly blind man, they cannot admit nor see the obvious. So the formerly blind man, avoiding all of the religiosity behind their reasoning of supposedly breaking their Sabbath laws responds so simply in 9:25, "He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”" Before the religious leaders cast this formerly blind man out of the synagogue, we see true enlightenment from this man in 9:30-33, "The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”"
People get so hung up with titles and positions. Though the Scriptures were not readily available in the days of the Old Testament, and priests served as mediators between God and man, in fact a veil separated God from everyone else, except the High Priest who was allowed to approach Him only once a year behind the veil on Yom Kippur, this all changed with Jesus. The veil was torn (Matthew 27:51), Jesus became our mediator, and the Scriptures are now available to all of us. In fact, to make it more available it has been translated in whole or in part in over 2600 languages. It is available in paper and over electronic devices. We don't need to rely on a man, or a system, as God has placed His Spirit inside those of us who have repented of our sins and accepted His Son as our Lord and Savior. Though commentaries can certainly be helpful, God wants to speak to us through His Word directly. God called each of us, not because of our intellect, our pedigree, our social standing, etc., as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." Just read and allow His Spirit to penetrate and teach you His truth.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: