DEVOTION//Grace cures blindness
2 Corinthians 4:4,6 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Our spiritual blindness is to blame.
The fact that evil is so prevalent in our world has given many a reason to deny God exists. But the problem of evil cannot be traced back to God. Its genesis is in the sinfulness of humans. That sinfulness has corrupted every facet of our planet.
We should not expect people without a faith relationship with God to understand that, however. Their spiritual blindness won’t allow them to see that connection.
A parable
A Christian went to an optometrist to an eye exam. He and his doctor talked, not just about his eye-health but many issues. Eventually, they came to the subject of God. The optometrist said: “I don't believe that God exists.”
“Why do you say that?” asked the man.
“You just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be blindness, glaucoma, cataracts? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”
The man thought about how to respond, but he didn't find the right words.
Optometrists don’t exist
When he left the examination room for the lobby, he noticed the patients who were waiting. He stepped back into the examination room. “You know what?” he told his doctor. “Optometrists do not exist.”
“How can you say that?” the doctor asked. “I am an optometrist. I just examined your eyes. I helped you to see better.”
“No!” the Christian exclaimed. “Optometrists don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with poor eye sight, there would be no blind people.”
“Ah, but optometrists DO exist! People have bad eye sight because they don’t come to me.”
“Exactly!” the man said. “That's the point! God DOES exist! What happens is that spiritually blind people don't go to him; they cannot look for him. Instead, they stagger through life creating problems for themselves and others.”
Better news
Here’s even better news than knowing God exists. God cures spiritual blindness. Through Word and sacrament, his Spirit opens sin-blinded hearts to see the light of God’s grace in Jesus.
We all have opportunities to be part of the cure. Tell someone about God’s grace today.