Am I Spiritually Blind?
March 15, 2026. John 9:1-41. Pastor Leslie Nolin
In this passage, Jesus saw a man born blind.
Most don't understand that blindness does not mean completely without sight. The word, blind, in this passage literally means; opaque: as if smoky. This may mean that the man may have at least had light perception and possibly seen everything as indistinguishable shadows. Regardless, he was considered blind.
If we look at physical blindness, it comes in different forms. Macular Degeneration is central vision loss, the dark spot in the middle of ones' vision gets larger as the vision loss progresses. Glaucoma and Retinitis Pigmentosa cause peripheral vision loss until the person only sees through a small area of your central vision.
My vision loss is called Cone-Rod Dystrophy, it affects both the cone and rod receptors of the retina, causing increased blurry vision and possible total blindness. Throughout the world, if someone has 10% vision or less in the best corrected eye, the person is considered legally blind. If someone has a 20 degree or less field of vision in their best eye, the person is also declared legally blind. There are many causes of vision loss and blindness, these are only a few.
We have looked briefly at physical blindness and some causes. What is spiritual blindness and would I consider myself spiritually blind as I am also considered physically blind? If I equate my physical sight to my spiritual sight, I am in deep trouble, but thankfully, this is tongue-in-cheek and not related.
Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 13:5; “Examine yourselves as to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you- unless, of course, you fail the test?”
This is a sobering question that doesn't mean that we have to be perfect but it does mean, do we recognize our spiritual poverty and our complete dependence on His redemptive blood solely for our cleansing and righteousness?
2 Peter 1:2-9; “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”
The religious leaders in this gospel passage rejected Jesus. Jesus asked the man born blind if he believed in the Son of God. The man confirmed that he believed and as he grew increasingly aware of who Jesus was, he was able to stand up to the contempt of the religious leaders, they didn't believe he was the man born blind. He confirmed that he had been blind and that he believed Jesus is: a prophet (9:17); Jesus was his master, he was Jesus' disciple (9:27); Jesus is from God (9:33); he trusted in Jesus and worshipped Him (9:38).
Just as the man was born blind, we too are born spiritually blind, in need of healing.
It is having that conscious knowledge that we are spiritually blind and need help, then God is able to help us.
Without visual aids, I would not be able to function as well as I do.
We have visual aids to help us with our spiritual vision loss, mainly God's Word.
Jesus said (9:5), “I AM the light of the world.” If we are in Him, we do not have to grope around in darkness. However, we can never claim to fully see, 1 Cor. 13:12; “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
Mirrors in that era were not the clear glass that we use today but a polished metal which does not present as clear an image as we are used to.
When we think we can see, this is when we are blind.
Jesus admonished the Laodicean church, Rev.3:17-18; “You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
(Jn.9:39-41) “Jesus said, 'for judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.' Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, 'What? Are we blind too?' Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'”
It is because the Pharisees claimed they could see, that they were truly blind.
Matt.5:3; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
I asked the question, “Am I spiritually blind?”
The answer is “Yes.”
I recognize my spiritual blindness and need of visual aids: God's Word, prayer, fellowship with believers and my wife who helps keep me on track.
Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
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Thy Will be Done
March 11, 2026. Luke 22:31-34, 39-46, 54-62. Erin Lussier
“Thy Will be Done” is a terrifying prayer! It involves complete emptying of ourselves, setting aside “me” and accepting something that may be, and often is, completely different from what we might think we want. It is also a strange prayer, for God gives us the power to pray for what we need and desire, but in this prayer, we use that power to hand it right back to Him. When Jesus prayed in the garden, he prayed that His suffering might be taken away, yet ended His prayer by saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” And it ended with Him suffering death upon the cross.
Why would anyone want to pray this prayer? It is scary, strange, and seems to lead to all kinds of things, including but not limited to, suffering and death. We are led to ask the question: What is God’s will? And: What is God’s will for me?
God’s will is perfect, holy, and good. If God’s will were complete in the world today, there would be exactly zero suffering, pain, sorrow, or death. But sin runs rampant in our world. We live in a broken and fallen creation, where Satan prowls like a lion, and where sinners execute their selfish wills at the expense of others.
We don’t exactly know why God continues to allow us to suffer. But what we do know is that God promises to work our suffering for ultimate good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28) "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Rom 8:18) There is hope in the glory that is to come through God's perfect will. God's perfect will is pictured in Psalm 23, with perfect meadows, complete peace, and our Good Shepherd leading us, the sheep, in harmony. This perfection has been won for us through Christ on the cross, where God’s will was revealed. God’s will is redemption for us sinners and the broken world we live in.
When we pray for God’s will to be done, we are emptying ourselves of our will and our desires.
But we are being filled instead with the joy and hope that comes from Christ alone? We can boldly pray this scary, strange prayer, knowing that the One who hears that prayer is perfect, holy, and just, and will work all things for our good, drawing all creation closer to the fulfillment of His plans for our salvation, which has already been won on the cross through Christ our Lord and Saviour with the words “It is finished.”
Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
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Lent
February 18, 2026. Mathew 6:1-21. Richard Senum
Lent is a time for Christians to spiritually and physically recognize the depth of love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we see him on that cross we are reminded of our own mortality as a consequence of our sinfulness. In the eyes of God - sinfulness is lawlessness against his perfect – life sustaining commands – laws and precepts. And yet - we continually violate one or more of His laws each day of our lives -- even though we try not to.
This dilemma was recognized by Paul in Romans 7:15; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” On this side of Paradise – we are spiritually and physically incapable of living up to God standards. Or – again Paul says in Romans 3: 23: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
So during Lent we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving of our time and talents. Charitable giving because of God’s gracious gifts of life – love - grace and mercy in our lives - we are charged to share those divine gifts with those around us.
But I sometime wonder – am I doing enough and am I giving enough – not just in church but in my life outside of church. In a way my Lenten response has less to do with doing and giving than the attitude of a humble – contrite and repentant heart. Remember Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4: 3-5 we read; “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” Abel showed reverence to God by providing the best of the firstborn from his flock where as Cain just gave some of his produce. Was it the best from his first harvest? Probably not. Y’ see God knows our heart and knows our attitude towards him. Abel was reverent – Cain was casual.
It wasn’t the offerings to God from Cain and Abel that was the issue but the attitude of their heart. Abel had the right heart attitude toward God – and sadly like so many in this world he paid with his life for it.
Similarly with Jacob and Esau – it’s the heart that revels our attitude toward God. Esau was only interested in his hunger to fill his stomach. But Jacob recognized the importance of a blessing from his father was like a blessing from God.
Jesus says in Mark 7: 20-23; that it is what comes out of our heart that defiles us. We read; “He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
So how much do our hearts value a right relationship with God our Father? How important is God to us? Do we view God with a reverent attitude or a casual attitude. In this post-modern world, we are probably a little of both.
So we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving.
Our heart attitude toward God is related to how we repent of our sinful life.
The simple meaning of repentance is - to turn from a sinful life and turn to God. Simple enough – right. But real repentance suggests something far more dramatic than simply turning from sin and turning to God. It would mean a fundamental spiritual regret and remorse that we have deeply offended God our Father and grieved his Holy Spirit. It is more than simply being apologetic for something we said or did. It the thing that makes us sob and cry from the depth of our heart when we know we have deeply offended and grieved the heart of God.
And I’ll bet that everyone of us has had those moments of deep regret knowing we have offended God. Sadly it’s part of our life – and it’s a life long struggle between our sinful nature and our need to be right with God.
Hear again is some of what I read in Joel;
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
Rend is a perfect word to describe how we separate ourselves from a sinful life. Rend means to violently tear away with great emotional pain and anguish. I think of Lot’s wife. She could not rend herself from the life she must have enjoyed in Sodom. So – in this post-modern world – how do we – or can we - rend our heart and life from a sinful world.
In Psalm 51 - King David’s laments that he offended God. You can feel his sense of remorse as you read the words. He violated two of God’s ten commandments – adultery and murder. But – sometime I wonder – would he have been so remorseful if the prophet Nathan had not confronted him with his crimes. And don’t we try and hide those things and hope we are not found out. – What can we hide from God.
Fasting and Abstinence
Over the years I’ve heard some Christians say that during lent - they are going to give up chocolate or meat or wine or watching TV or whatever. There is no meaningful personal sacrifice – no heart felt submission to God. Heart attitude. Lots of people live with out those things all their lives – it is not a real repentant sacrificial fast.
As I go through the Scriptures there are several examples of fasting.
In the book of Ezra. Before he and some Jews returned to Jerusalem - he proclaimed a fast – with prayer. Asking God for a safe journey. We read in Ezra 8:21; “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.”
And Isaiah refers to fasting and we read in 58: 3a;
“Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
Clearly fasting and prayer go together. Luke tells us in Acts that Paul and others are praying and fasting. During their prayer time the Holy Spirit speaks to them. In Acts 13: 2 – 3 we read; “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
Our reading in the gospel of Matthew is part of Jesus’s – Sermon on the Mount. In it he speaks about giving to the needy – prayer and fasting. But he says we must be careful; “…not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” But to be charitable – to pray and to fast in private. It is something we do for and with God not for the world or worldly. We are not to seek brownie points or accolades from the world - like showing people how good we are. But how do we define ‘good’?
When we do these things in private, we must be doing them with a humble and contrite heart. These things are private because it is a private conversation or action between each or us individually and our Father in heaven. And in doing so we are to be storing up treasures in heaven.
So during our time in lent – it is a time to focus our heart on our heavenly Father. To build on our relationship and our faith in God and the blood of Jesus.
So how do we rend our sinfulness for our worldly life and turn to God. Well – whether you fast or give to the needy – we must always pray. And pray as if our life depended on it – because – truly - it surely does.
AMEN
Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
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