Are we Blind?
By Timothy Glover
It has been said that one should never argue politics or religion. First, we need to remember that truth comes from God. He is the God of truth (Exodus 34:6) and gives us the “word of truth” (John 17:17). Further, it is this truth that can make us free (John 8:32; compare James 1:18,21). Let us be willing to “buy the truth and sell it not” (Prov. 23:23). Since, possession of truth is very important. We need to be careful that we not become indifferent toward God and his word but to seek his ways.
Second, it is true that arguments are seldom beneficial. The reason for this is that each is trying to prove their point rather than listening to what God wants. We all need to consider the possibility, yea, the probability, that we are wrong about some things. Rather than arguing with some human to prove our point and “save face” we may be arguing with God. In 1 Sam, 7:8 Samuel had thought that Israel had rejected him. Yet God told him that they had rejected him and not Samuel. Since we are going to be judged by the words of Christ (Jn. 12:48), we should not fall into Satan’s pride trap under which we reject the truth of God in order to win an argument.
The importance of being open-minded is seen in Paul who thought that he “ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). While he thought he was doing what was right, his own prejudiced mind blinded him. An Old Testament character by the name of Naaman had the same problem. His instructions were simple and easy to be understood. He was told to dip himself in the Jordan seven times to be healed of his leprosy. But, he “turned and went away in a rage,” saying, “Behold, I thought....” (2 Kings 5:10-12). He already had it figured out and was angered when he received instructions that were different from what he had preferred and expected. The Jews with whom Jesus dealt were blinded (John 9:41) to their imperfections. Why? They were too busy arguing with Jesus with a closed mind!! Jeremiah wrote of the sins of Israel in 2:35, “Yet thou saidst, I am innocent: surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.”
When we are full, satisfied and set in our ways, we are vulnerable to being blind to our sins and/or our understanding of truth. Jesus describes this condition of the heart when he said to the Jews of his day, “By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should perceive with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shall turn again, and I shall heal them”(Mat.13:14-15). We do not understand the Bible alike and thus cause so much confusion because we are so prejudiced and set in our ways. Like a calloused hand, our hearts are so hardened that we cannot see the truth when it is right before our eyes.
Since this condition prevents us from being “seekers” (we think we already have it), we may discover too late that we have been traveling the broad way that leads to destruction (Mat. 7:7,13-14). So, let’s open our hearts to receive with meekness the word of truth that can save our souls (James 1:21). Let’s be concerned about what (not who) is right.
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