This post was last updated on April 2, 2026

Day 8 (Year 2)

Seeking to Open the Eyes of Our Hearts Before God

“Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remains.'” (John 9:41 NKJV)

Jesus healed a man who had been born blind in John chapter 9. Yet the event at the time seemed to bring little joy to many; instead, it sparked for an disturbed debate between the Pharisees and others against Jesus, because the day on which the man was healed was the Sabbath (John 9:14). They viewed Jesus through the lens of the physicians of their days and thus judged that He had violated the Sabbath commandment. Healing the sick on the Sabbath was considered work and was therefore forbidden. Finally, Jesus retorted to them in today’s verse. In fact, they did not understand why He worked in this way. And if they admitted their blindness toward Jesus, they might be forgiven by Him.

Those who do not understand Jesus are prone to condemn Him and likely to condemn Christians due to their misunderstanding. In fact, a few people truly understand Jesus and His truth. If we want to avoid the kind of blindness that Paul once experienced as the means by which the eyes of his heart were opened, then acknowledging before God the lack of understanding, admitting that the eyes of our hearts are blind, and thereby preventing ourselves from making any decisions based on any misunderstanding. It is an appropriate starting point for us to acknowledge our blindness so that we can turn away from sin. After admitting that we do not fully know Him, we need to strive to know and submit to the truth of Scripture more and more, especially by approaching Him with a prayerful heart. In this way, we can more readily be freed from problems such as being judgmental. We must cooperate with God. We need to pray according to His direction, and progressively enhance our spiritual sensitivity. In short, praying to God and seeking His direction first is often the key to having our eyes opened. The more we submit to God, the clearer our eyes in our hearts will be.

Having our eyes opened may also require the help of other believers, such as Paul or those alike. Many people, whether in their understanding of others or of circumstances, have blind spots and misbeliefs—and others’ reminders can offer ways out for their shortcomings and misunderstandings. So, we all need friends and a helpful community. Similarly, we often need to receive help from those who are more spiritually mature and have spiritual insight, so that the eyes of our hearts may be further opened.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel that you need the help of a spiritual community or of others to clear away your blind spots, so that the eyes of your heart may be further opened?

2) Do you need to seek a deeper understanding of the faith? If so, what else do you need to learn beyond this devotional material?