Looking for the Outsiders

3/19/2013

John 9: 35-41 (KJV)

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"  

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?"

And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talked with thee.           

And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him.

And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."

And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, "Are we blind also?"

Jesus said unto them, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remained.”

Looking for the Outsiders

A man that had been born blind was healed by Jesus Christ. That miracle caused great controversy among the religious leaders because signified that Jesus was the Messiah, and therefore a threat to their power.    They decided to expel that man believing that the problem would cease. They couldn’t imagine the blessing that the expulsion would bring to that man. Let’s meditate on three key ideas of this passage:  

“Jesus heard that they had sent him out.” The first thing that comes into my mind is that Jesus Christ followed-up in his ministry; he knew what was going on in the community.  When Jesus heard that they had sent the man out, he did what we should all do: go out to seek him.
 
“Finding him he asked: Do you believe in the Son of God?” (KJV)   Jesus took the initiative to look for that man; he did not wait to be found, himself. Why did he look for him?  To confront his beliefs. He did not seek him to talk about the injustice of the expulsion, or the bad behavior of the religious leaders. Jesus focused on what this man needed: a personal encounter with the Son of God.

“Who is he, Lord, so that I may believe in Him?” This is the great question of the people that surround us outside of our church. Who is Jesus? How can I believe in someone I do not know? If we want our neighbors to actually get to know Jesus and believe in Jesus as the Son of God, we have to do the same thing that Jesus did: go out to find them, confront their beliefs, and present to them our Savior as the only option for eternal life.   God willing, we can all be instruments for those that are outside of his kingdom, and they can get to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to seek me when I was outside of your presence. Now, help me and motivate me to seek those that are outside and bring them before you. Amen.   

Rev. Luis Ernesto Treviño serves at Cobden: Jesús es el Señor UMC.