Ask these questions:
- Why was this man born blind?
- How did Jesus heal him? Do you think the method is important?
- What is so wrong about healing on the Sabbath? How important is it that Jesus healed on the Sabbath? Would the story still “work” if Jesus hadn’t healed on the Sabbath?
- Who were the Pharisees? Why were they upset about keeping the Sabbath? Did they have a valid point?
- Who all in this story was afraid?
- Who all in this story was blind?
- At the end of the story, who received “new sight” in a spiritual sense? Who was blind to their own blindness at the end of the story?
Apply (12 minutes)
Now turn the discussion to the present day. Ask the students to brainstorm all the ways that Christians today might be spiritually blind. Here are some possibilities:
- We don’t see miracles happening because we don’t really believe in miracles.
- We are more concerned about things staying the same way in our church traditions (like Sabbath) and so are blind to the work of the Spirit in new areas. (Be careful here to reiterate that some of our traditions are very good—but Jesus is Lord of everything in the church)
- We can’t see how Jesus is transforming another person because we have stereotypes of that person.
- We aren’t open to new ways of worshipping or new ways of serving others.
Ask the students to sit for a moment in silence, reflecting on this question: In what way am I spiritually blind?
Continued... |
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