Week 40 John
The blind man in chapter nine suddenly saw. And so some religious leaders began badgering the Lord…asking him to spell out in plain language who he was (did he think he was the Messiah?) The Lord didn’t answer the question. He said: I have already told you, and you don’t believe. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father. But you don’t believe me because you are not part of my flock.
There’s two pretty interesting things here. The First Thing is that the leaders want plain-language talk but the Lord points them to the indirect language of miracles…The water-to-wine. The near-death resuscitation. The lame man walking. And now the blind man seeing. Miracles should have ratified the Lord. But they didn’t. And why they didn’t is the Second Thing.
The Lord said: you don’t believe me because you are not part of my flock.
Technically-speaking you’d think a miraculous event had power to convince. But the Lord implied that you had to get on board first to facilitate belief.
As though a guy had to trust first so he could actually believe.
Which maybe makes sense. For example I believe the universe is currently expanding because someone reliable told me it was. The confidence-trust I have was the start of my belief.
As though I come onside so things can clarify.
Note: quotes from John 10:25 & 26 (NLT)