John the disciple tells of an incident involving a blind man Jesus heals. It’s an interesting look at the dynamics of the time, but also worth noting, because John records very few of Jesus’ miracles and this takes up all of John chapter 9—which I encourage you to read now.
A couple of background items to know. The man was blind from birth. Confessing Jesus as Messiah meant you were kicked out of the synagogue—which was the church you went to at that time—and you were in essence cut off from God and shunned by society. Nobody wanted to be kicked out of church.
Jesus heals the man’s blindness. Even today, we miss the amazingness of that statement. Later in verse 20, the healed man’s parents say, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.” However, in the next verse they claim, “by what means he sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.” John tells us why. “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews” (vs. 22). They’d be thrown out of their church.
The rest of the account shows the blind man telling the truth to the religious leaders, them not believing him, and him not budging on the truth. The result, he was expelled from the church, believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and worshiped Him.
I share this because Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (NIV) and this unnamed blind man illustrates this.
For children of divorce, the fear of rejection, or the flip side of the coin—wanting to belong, can lead us to do or say things we wouldn’t normally do (yielding to peer pressure), or not do or say things we should. This tendency can continue into adulthood.
It’s normal to experience rejection by friends, teachers, or others growing up; unfortunate, but normal. It is not normal to be rejected by parents, parents’ boyfriends or girlfriends, stepparents, or stepsiblings. I say “not normal” not in the sense that this doesn’t happen when divorces occur, but in the sense that it shouldn’t happen, but often does. Or we feel it does.
Consequently, we build forts with walls around us for protection. For some, the drawbridge never comes down and we isolate. For others, we talk with people, but through a small window that barely shows are head. The result is the very thing we’re trying to avoid, loneliness.
Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). In essence, believe in Me and I’ll never reject you. However, the dilemma the blind man, his parents, and you face is, believe in Jesus and many will reject you.
But, remember, the blind man gained everything, and so can you. Peace, joy, strength to overcome addictions, comfort in the storms, unconditional love, and so much more, can be yours.
Confess that Jesus is the only Messiah, that you are a sinner and, through His death on the cross and bodily resurrection, you are forgiven of your sins, and commit to following Him (learning and God’s word—the Bible, regularly meeting with God’s people, and sharing the truth about Jesus like the blind man did).
Faith can crush the fear of rejection we experience, but only if that faith is in the right person—Jesus. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (NIV).
Image: Pixabay