Saturday after Cantate

Scripture: St. John 9:35-41 (NKJV)

9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

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.

Devotion

Earlier this week it was noted how the man who was once blind did nothing. There was no “Lord, have mercy.” Neither did he say, “I want to see.” Out of God’s abundant grace and mercy He healed the man. And as often happens, when God does a wonderful thing in a person’s life, Satan goes on a search-and-destroy mission. In this case, the man is thrown out of the synagogue.

So it is in the life of every Christian. “Receive the sign of the Cross, both upon the forehead and upon the heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ crucified.” At your Baptism you were marked, and that mark became a target in the eyes of Satan. He now sets his sights on you to destroy what God has done in you.

The hymn “A Mighty Fortress” speaks of Satan: “on earth is not his equal.” What does one do when feeling left alone in this battle? We find comfort in these words: “…and when He [Jesus] had found him…” That says it all! Christ is always seeking His sheep. He knows the dangers you face. He finds you again and again in order to protect you and save you. He does not wait for you to come running or crawling to Him before He acts.

While from our perspective it may appear we have been left alone to fend for ourselves, God calls us to view our lives as He sees them: Baptized into Christ. By virtue of your baptism you are inextricably united to Christ. He is always with you to guard and protect you.

Prayer: O Lord, take away the weakness of my flesh so I may not doubt Your presence, but grant me faith to trust You unwaveringly. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.