John 9:35-41

John 9:35-41 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There's a saying that the minister's job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  That saying may have been modeled after verse 39, where Jesus is announcing that while he came to open the eyes of the blind, he also came to blind those who can see.  Now this may seem cruel, but I don't think Jesus was trying to be vindictive.  I think Jesus realized the necessity of closing the eyes of those whose vision was fixed on the wrong things, in the hopes that his stark teachings would jar them into re-examining things from a different perspective.
  In the western world, its easy to get comfortable, to let our vision drift from the message of the cross.  We get busy living, and Jesus often is relegated to some portion of our lives, rather than being Lord over all.  Like the Pharisees, we retain control over significant parts of our lives and our resources and our time.
  So may the Holy Spirit open our eyes to know how best to use the resources we have.  May we realize that saving isn't the most important thing to do with our money, that comfort and pleasure aren't the highest and best things to seek, that security is an illusion, that closing our senses to the needs around us isn't the most faithful response. 
  I don't know what Jesus would say to me if he were to give me an honest evaluation of my life.  I'm certain that parts of it would be hard to hear.  I've grown so accustomed to my ways of being that, like the Pharisees, I don't even notice many of my sins anymore.  I drift.  I do believe that Jesus would start by embracing me and reminding me of his sovereign love for me, and I believe that any harsh words would be delivered because Jesus wants me to grow into the person I am called to be.  Jesus' words are always rooted in love -- before the world began, the Trinity existed in nothing but love, and so love is the motive behind the acts and words of God.  You and I are uniquely and wonderfully loved, and so we can be challenged to change while still being confidant of the love and grace of God.
  We're all trying to figure it out, one day at a time.  The challenge is to actually take the time to break our routines and notice how sin and comfort have crept in and prevented us from following through on our calling.  We are blinded to our selves sometimes.
  May God open our eyes!