February 6, 2023
Loved | John 9
WHEN YOU’RE AN OUTCAST
What’s it like to be loved by Jesus and to love him back? Or put another way, what’s it like to believe Jesus? John tells the story of the blind man healed by Jesus to help us imagine this. He wants this story to be our story: one where in love Jesus transforms us, sends us, and includes us.
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John 9
- The disciples ask Jesus to explain why bad things, like blindness, happen to people. How would you respond to that question? Is there anything in Jesus’ response that makes you think about this differently?
- The man’s first encounter with Jesus is initiated by Jesus, who in love reaches out to heal the blindness that kept him on the margins. Tell the story of your first encounter with Jesus.
- This healing requires trust and obedience. Where in your life might Jesus be inviting you to greater trust and obedience so that he can heal you of an area of shame or sin or brokenness?
- The man is called to witness when he doesn’t even know who Jesus is! Where are you being called to witness? Have you felt like you knew what you were doing?
- The man’s understanding of who Jesus is grows throughout this story. How has your vision of Jesus changed over time? What have been the points that most changed it?
Bonus: Through this story, the man’s vision of Jesus progressively improves. He “sees” more and more. There’s another progression that’s happening, of the Pharisees’ blindness. How do they refuse the light?
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