The Pharisees had it all wrong. They thought wealth was measured in religious credentials, biblical knowledge, and moral performance. Jesus flipped the script.
Scripture Focus: John 9:35-41; Matthew 5:3
When they kicked the formerly blind man out of the synagogue, Jesus came looking for him. Always the initiative of God. This man couldn't find Jesus, but Jesus found him. And He asked the question upon which your eternal destiny hinges: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
The man said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
And Jesus said, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you."
What does the man do? "Lord, I believe." And then—watch this—"he worshiped Him."
How do you know if you've been changed by God? Not if you've walked an aisle. Not if you've prayed a prayer. Not if you know all the answers. Not if you've been in church your entire life. You know your heart has been changed by God if you long to worship Him. Worship is the reflex position of the transformed heart.
But the Pharisees? They're standing there mocking. "We are not blind too, are we?"
And Jesus drops a bomb in verse 41: "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains."
Listen—the most guilty people in the world are those who know the Scripture, know the truth, make a passive affirmation of their imperfections, but have never really fathomed the darkness of their hearts.
Jesus's most famous sermon begins with this: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Who does the kingdom belong to? Those who recognize their lostness. Those who relinquish all self-sufficiency. Those who sense their spiritual bankruptcy. Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to the cross I cling.
You want to know who the wealthiest people are? Who gets the kingdom? Who gets everything? Those who realize they have nothing apart from Jesus Christ.
You could be in church your entire life thinking you're something. But until you realize you have nothing to give God, you're blind to your need for God. Which means you don't really think you need grace. Which means grace isn't "amazing" to you. Which means you never really thought you were lost. Which means you'll never really think you need to be found.
Praise be to God that He opens the eyes of the prodigal and pharisee alike so that they would recognize their need for His mercy!
1. Have you ever come to the end of yourself—recognizing you have nothing to offer God but your need?
2. In what areas of your life are you still clinging to self-sufficiency rather than acknowledging your spiritual poverty?
3. Does grace feel amazing to you? If not, could it be because you've never truly grasped how desperately you need it?
Stay dialed in.