March 2, Day 61 – Self-Imposed Spiritual Blindness
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- Mar 2
- 4 min read
Today we read Leviticus 5:1–7:10 where we read the Lord saying to Moses, “If a person sins because he does not speak up …” (verse 1). This verse indicates that we have a responsibility to communicate the truth when we “hear a public charge” or “see or learn about something” that is clearly wrong. Man is a responsible creature. He may be “unaware of it” (cf., verses 2, 3, and 4), but he is still expected to be aware of it, for he is just as responsible before the law as after it. Here, in verses 14-19, we see the guilt offering which speaks of Psalm 69 and reminds us of Matthew’s gospel. In chapter 6, “The LORD said to Moses” (verse 1), that sin – any sin – against our neighbor is also a sin against the Lord. So that we don’t misunderstand what this concept means, God provides a whole list of offenses – “something stolen; cheats; lies; swears falsely; any such sin that people may do; extortion;” etc. God wants us to know that all sin is a violation against Him, and i.e., produces spiritual blindness. The rest of chapter 6 covers the various regulations that govern the burnt offering (verses 8-13); the grain offering (verses 14-23); and the sin offering (verses 24-30). Chapter 7 begins with the regulations for the guilt offering (verses 1-10). These detailed regulations specify the kind of offering to be sacrificed, the place of slaughter, what the priest shall wear, the nature of the fire, what may or may not be eaten, and how to deal with the ashes, etc.
We are beginning to see that Leviticus is a book which reveals four things: [1] Holiness and purity are necessary for man to come into God’s presence. [2] Man’s sin has placed him [us] in a precarious and unsafe position before God. Our sinful state simply invites God’s wrath. [3] Purity and holiness are recoverable. [4] God – in His mercy – has established a pathway – the Levitical law – that can lead the Israelites back into a restored position of safe fellowship with Him. By keeping the legal rituals of Leviticus – complex though they are – the Israelites could obtain forgiveness and fellowship through their obedience – without incurring God’s holy and righteous wrath because of sin.
In Proverbs 6:12-19, we see another section of Scripture that describes how to develop a proper relationship with the Lord and overcome spiritual blindness. This important passage relates to our total conduct and being – our eyes, our tongue, our hands, our heart, our feet, and our witness (i.e., this especially applies to our reputation, to our attitudes, and to our integrity). This section also reveals some of the behaviors of a “scoundrel and villain” (verse 12). They “go about with a corrupt mouth, signal with their feet, motion with their fingers, plot evil with deceit in their hearts – always stirring up dissension” (verses 12-14). The scoundrel and the villain manifest any number of the “seven things that are detestable to the LORD” (verses 16-19). Prayerfully, we would do well always to check our own conduct regularly against these evils.
In Mark 10:35-52, we see – with some variations – Mark’s account of the events we saw earlier in Matthew 20:17-34. Here, Mark includes Christ’s prediction about His death, the special request of James and John (sons of Zebedee), to sit at the Lord’s right and left hands in His kingdom, and sight restoration to blind Bartimaeus. The faith of this man is memorable and exemplary. He cannot see with his physical eyes, but blind Bartimaeus sees through the eye of faith. Today, many people are willfully blind – they do not want to see the truth – choosing rather to live out their lives in their self-imposed spiritual blindness. This passage reminds us again about how little we actually know with certainty. Even our knowledge is dependent upon faith – we must believe something to be true before we can know it to be true. Here, Jesus asks the brothers, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Their answer – “We can” – seems rather impulsive to me (verses 38-39). Do they really know if they can drink that cup? If so, how do they know this? Do they even know what His cup actually is? Jesus assures them that they will certainly drink His cup, but I seriously doubt that they had any idea what He meant. We need to be careful about the things we think we know – we need to make sure that we know them with certainty before we begin to assert them. Of course, the other ten disciples “became indignant with James and John” (verse 41). Jesus found a teachable moment in all this; He taught a contrast/comparison lesson here. He compared them to “the rulers of the Gentiles, who lord it over them … but not so with you. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (verses 41-43). And the contrast? “The Son of Man came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (verse 45). Were they willing to drink from that cup?
Comments