John 9 illustrates the impact Jesus was having on the people and the jealousy this caused among the religious leaders. He heals a man who had been born blind. The religious leaders tell this man to “give glory to God”, saying, “we know this man (Jesus) is a sinner” (9:24). They cannot deny that an amazing miracle has occurred, but say, “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from”.

The healed man answers them, “Why this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes” (verses 29,30). Their anger boils over as he persists, telling them, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing”. They conclude, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?’ And they cast him out” (verses 33,34).

There is increasing blindness of many today who keep on saying there is no God, there never was a Creator, everything that exists is the result of countless chance events. “This is an amazing thing” especially that people persist in this way of thinking! Yet in one way I can understand this – it is because the established churches are so hypocritical – in some ways they parallel the religious people who surrounded Jesus.

Those who are willing to read God’s word for themselves, and keep reading to get its full meaning, are conscious of the amazing message that unfolds. Sadly, as we read in John 10 there are others that hinder the message. Jesus says, “He who is a hired hand, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches them and scatters them” (verse 12). Sadly this happened!

But scattered sheep can listen and hear the good shepherd by reading the words written down for us. True sheep, even in the 21st Century, can hear his voice by reading his words and those of his disciples and prophets. Feed on them every day to find the only true pasture in the wilderness of this world.