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In an episode of Little House on the Prairie, Laura befriends a little girl named Olga. But there is something a little different about Laura’s new friend, so she asks her dad. See, Olga walks with a limp. She has been crippled since birth. One leg is shorter than the other and makes it hard for her to play with the other children. As Laura and her father Charles are talking about it, he gets an idea.

Charles walks to Olga’s house where he meets the young girl and her grandmother for the first time. He approaches her father Jon Nordstrom, but is met with fierce resistance. Charles shares his idea about helping Olga by making her a special shoe, but her father shuts down the offer immediately.

His response – He doesn’t need anyone’s help. He can raise his daughter just fine. His daughter doesn’t need any friends but him and his mother.

Charles leaves feeling frustrated and defeated. A little time passes and Olga and her grandmother come walking up to the Ingall’s farm. And they didn’t come empty-handed. The grandmother asks Charles to please help Olga and hands him a pair of her shoes.

Some days later, while Olga is at the Ingall’s for a party, her father discovers her extra shoes are missing. The grandmother reveals what she’s done by reaching out to Charles and her son is furious. Enraged, he makes his way to the Ingall’s farm and attacks Charles for interfering in their lives and going against his wishes.

Laughter fills the air and the two men stop scuffling. Mr. Nordstrom looks out into the yard and sees for the first time his little girl playing with all the other children. With her new shoe she runs and there’s no sign of a limp.

He looks on with tears in his eyes and a smile slowly forms. He realizes what a fool he’s been. Pride and anger had blinded him from seeing the truth and the gift that Charles had offered.

Yesterday, we learned about Jesus healing a man that had been blind since birth. When the religious leaders found out about this miracle, they didn’t rejoice, celebrate or worship Jesus. They became furious because He healed him on the Sabbath and they cast out the man who had been healed.

John 9:35-41
“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?
36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”

Who is really blind here?

The man who had been born with no sight could see the truth about who Jesus was. He believed in Him. But the Pharisees, those who claimed to devote their lives to God and upholding His truth, were the ones who were truly blind.

Like the grandmother and Olga, that welcomed the help Charles offered, this blind man gladly accepted Jesus’ gift to him. But like Olga’s father, the Pharisees were stubborn and pride blinded them.

But the difference between our two stories is that when Mr. Nordstrom witnessed the miracle before him, his heart was changed. The Pharisees turned their blind eyes away, still declaring that they could see what was really happening.

Verse 41 in the NLT – “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

What will we do with the truth of Jesus?

Does pride fill our hearts and blind us? Do we disregard our need for help and saving because of this pride?

Or will we see it for the beautiful gift that it is?

Our decision about Jesus is the most important one we will ever make. Will you be like the blind man who received his sight? Or will you turn away as the “all-seeing” Pharisees?

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