When I was a young Christian I thought I understood a lot about God, Jesus, and salvation. Now I feel like I know less about those things than I did then, although I am sure that I actually know far more now. I write many poems and songs and in 2006 I wrote a song I titled “Mystery.” Here are some of the words to that song:

I don’t understand you
I don’t know your ways
I don’t really know you
I’ve never seen your face

This song remains poignant to me because I still feel like this over eight years later. I don’t think the Pharisees of Jesus’ day (or those with us today) share this type of feeling, however. Consider the story of the blind man healed by Jesus in John 9. That account ends like this:

24 So they summoned the man who had been blind for the second time and said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner!” 25 Then that man replied, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know—that although I[m] was blind, now I see!” 26 So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He replied to them, “I told you already and you did not listen! Why do you want to hear it[n] again? You do not want to become his disciples also, do you?”[o] 28 They reviled[p] him and said, “You are his disciple! But we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “For the remarkable thing is this, that you do not know where he is from, and he opened my eyes!31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if someone is devout and does his will, he listens to this one.32 From time immemorial[q] it has not been heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything!” 34 They answered and said to him, “You were born completely in sin, and are you attempting to teach[r] us?” And they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered and said, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and he is the one who is speaking with you.” [[38 And he said, “I believe, Lord!” and he worshiped him. 39 And Jesus said,]][s] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind!” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, “We are not also blind, are we?”[t] 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. (John 9:24-41 Lexham English Bible)

Paul said, “If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.” (1 Corinthians 8:2-3) 

Let us, then, pray that God will give us ears to hear and eyes to see so that we may truly see the sinfulness that defines our souls, yes even our “Christian” souls today… so that we may one day hear, “Your sin no longer remains, for I have taken it upon myself!”