During Jesus’ ministry, He regularly encountered spiritual blindness, but what is it? Spiritual blindness is a condition of our heart that prevents us from seeing God’s truth about our Savior Jesus. After Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, every person is born spiritually blind and spiritually dead in their sin. In this condition, we can’t change our hearts without the Lord’s intervention through the Holy Spirit’s work.
In addition to being born spiritually blind, our enemy satan works against people to keep them blind. Paul gives us insight into this blinding work of satan. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. [1]
Jesus Set the Demon-Possessed Man Free
Jesus and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a demon-possessed man challenged Him.
The man Jesus encountered was naked, living in the tombs outside the town, and came and fell down in front of Him. Luke 8:30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. [2]
The demons knew Jesus had authority over them and asked permission for Jesus to send them into the pigs who were nearby. Jesus gave the demons permission, and they entered the pigs and then plunged the entire herd down a steep hill into the lake, drowning them. The man who had once been demon-possessed was now set free, but what about the people in the community? Would they also be set free from unbelief?
Everyone Makes Choices
Luke 8:34 When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. 35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. [3]
Instead of being in awe and wonder that Jesus healed this demon-possessed man, they were afraid of Him. Their fear blinded them to the freeing power of Jesus Christ. Satan uses the tactic of fear to reduce our faith, so we want, at times, to push our Savior away. Like the people, we can be more afraid of what Jesus will do in our lives and blind to the destructiveness of satan.
Jesus tried to lead them to faith in God’s grace, but we still have free will to push our Savior away. Have you embraced Jesus as your Savior? If you have, you are blessed; if not, the Lord is calling you today to place your faith in Him.
To learn more about spiritual blindness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/calming-of-two-storms
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.