Spiritual Blindness

[Mr. M]

John 9:

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see,

and that those who see may be made blind.”

40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say,

‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Rather than seeing the Lord calling someone out for their sin here, His judgment is the refusal to even acknowledge sin or a need to repent. I would suppose their reaction to "therefore your sin remains" might be, "what sin"? This also brings to mind John's teaching.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

I would suggest that the idea of "spiritual blindness" is the self-deception that results in the inability to know Truth. 

John 8:

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

These are often quoted verses, with varying degrees of accuracy, but the exchange soon becomes

much more pointed; again, to the inability to know the Truth.

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 

47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.

Ouch! How is that for being publicly called out?

[Mr. M]

Matthew 13:

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.