July 7th, 2025
They Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Spiritual Blindness
One of the most celebrated sports heroes in the state of Alabama was Charley Boswell. Charley was blinded in World War II while rescuing a buddy from a burning tank. He had always been a great athlete so after the war, he took up golf. Boswell won the National Blind Golf Championship 16 times, once shooting a score of 81. In 1958 Charley traveled to Ft. Worth, Texas in order to receive the coveted Ben Hogan Award.
Mr. Hogan agreed to play a round of golf with Charley. Charley said, "Would you like to play for money?" Hogan said, "That wouldn't be fair!" Charley said, "C'mon, Mr. Hogan, are you afraid to play a blind golfer?" Hogan was really pretty competitive so he said, "Okay, I'll play for money. How much?" Boswell said, "$1,000 per hole." Hogan said, "That's a lot. How many strokes do you want me to give you?" Boswell said, "No strokes. I'll play you heads up." Hogan said, "Charley, I can't do it. What would people think of me taking advantage of a blind man?" Boswell smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Hogan, our tee time is tonight at midnight!"
In John chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples met a man who had been born blind. Jesus’ disciples asked him an interesting question in the 2nd verse. This was the first comment they had. The first comment would have been expected to be something like, “Oh, this poor man. He has never been able to see. Can you do something for him, Master?” Instead, their first words were those of judgment and superiority, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
In expressing their judgmental ignorance, the disciples demonstrated a spiritual blindness as severe as the physical blindness of the man. Their ignorance was common in that time and is common even today. The idea that physical handicaps, sickness, poverty, and other troubles in life are the result of someone being a greater sinner than others comes from a theology of arrogance, greed and self-centeredness. In fact, it is not theology at all. Theology is the study of God. This comes from a study of self that one might call “MEOLOGY” or “the Theology of me.”
In the following verse, Jesus’ response to their question was powerful, “Neither this man or his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
In the following verses Jesus healed the man in an amazing and unusual way. The fallout which came from Jesus healing him on the Sabbath was intense. The religious leaders did everything they could to denounce the miracle, but when that failed; they tried to denounce the one who performed the miracle as a sinner. The testimony of the now seeing man was irrefutable, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!” (Verse 25).
If you have a physical, mental, emotional, financial, or any other kind of trouble, it is not because of your sin. It is because God wants to do the miraculous in and through you. He may, or may not, do away with your malady. In 2 Corinthians 12, God refused to take away the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” but rather gave him grace to make him powerful in his weakness. If you will trust God, he will give you the vision you need to see his power in your life. It will be as superior as a blind golfer playing a sighted one at midnight.
Sunday, we will continue our exciting series, Holy Stories with a message titled Forgiven to Forgive, based on Matthew 18:21-35. We will look at the power of forgiveness and the disappointment that comes when it is not passed on to others. Come and share in this special parable of our Lord.
By Christ’s vision,
Jon
Spiritual Blindness
One of the most celebrated sports heroes in the state of Alabama was Charley Boswell. Charley was blinded in World War II while rescuing a buddy from a burning tank. He had always been a great athlete so after the war, he took up golf. Boswell won the National Blind Golf Championship 16 times, once shooting a score of 81. In 1958 Charley traveled to Ft. Worth, Texas in order to receive the coveted Ben Hogan Award.
Mr. Hogan agreed to play a round of golf with Charley. Charley said, "Would you like to play for money?" Hogan said, "That wouldn't be fair!" Charley said, "C'mon, Mr. Hogan, are you afraid to play a blind golfer?" Hogan was really pretty competitive so he said, "Okay, I'll play for money. How much?" Boswell said, "$1,000 per hole." Hogan said, "That's a lot. How many strokes do you want me to give you?" Boswell said, "No strokes. I'll play you heads up." Hogan said, "Charley, I can't do it. What would people think of me taking advantage of a blind man?" Boswell smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Hogan, our tee time is tonight at midnight!"
In John chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples met a man who had been born blind. Jesus’ disciples asked him an interesting question in the 2nd verse. This was the first comment they had. The first comment would have been expected to be something like, “Oh, this poor man. He has never been able to see. Can you do something for him, Master?” Instead, their first words were those of judgment and superiority, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
In expressing their judgmental ignorance, the disciples demonstrated a spiritual blindness as severe as the physical blindness of the man. Their ignorance was common in that time and is common even today. The idea that physical handicaps, sickness, poverty, and other troubles in life are the result of someone being a greater sinner than others comes from a theology of arrogance, greed and self-centeredness. In fact, it is not theology at all. Theology is the study of God. This comes from a study of self that one might call “MEOLOGY” or “the Theology of me.”
In the following verse, Jesus’ response to their question was powerful, “Neither this man or his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
In the following verses Jesus healed the man in an amazing and unusual way. The fallout which came from Jesus healing him on the Sabbath was intense. The religious leaders did everything they could to denounce the miracle, but when that failed; they tried to denounce the one who performed the miracle as a sinner. The testimony of the now seeing man was irrefutable, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!” (Verse 25).
If you have a physical, mental, emotional, financial, or any other kind of trouble, it is not because of your sin. It is because God wants to do the miraculous in and through you. He may, or may not, do away with your malady. In 2 Corinthians 12, God refused to take away the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” but rather gave him grace to make him powerful in his weakness. If you will trust God, he will give you the vision you need to see his power in your life. It will be as superior as a blind golfer playing a sighted one at midnight.
Sunday, we will continue our exciting series, Holy Stories with a message titled Forgiven to Forgive, based on Matthew 18:21-35. We will look at the power of forgiveness and the disappointment that comes when it is not passed on to others. Come and share in this special parable of our Lord.
By Christ’s vision,
Jon
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