Proud Eyes

We’ve all met them. Whether in movies, books, or real life, we’ve all come across the people who are bafoonishly confident. When they open their mouths, their ignorance pours out, but they are cocksure about their position. All the evidence screams at them, people around them warn them, but their arrogance blinds them to reality. They know what they are doing. You can’t convince them otherwise. They scoff at or become angry with anyone who tries to tell them differently.

Sometimes their actions, arising from this arrogant confidence, don’t have serious consequences. At other times, it can be the ruination of their lives. If they had only listened, if they had only considered another point of view, the situation would have turned out much differently. However, now they are suffering the effects of their willful blindness.

When Jesus heals the man born blind in John 9, he is not only saving this man, but he is also condemning the willfully blind Pharisees. The Pharisees are the “eyes” of Israel. They are the judges who determine whether an action is lawful or unlawful and, consequently, who is included in the people of God and who is excluded. The parents of the man born blind were afraid that they would be excommunicated by them (Jn 9:22), and the man born blind was eventually excommunicated (Jn 9:34). But they are blind judges who sit in Moses’ seat (cf. Mt 23:2, 16, 24).

The problem is that they won’t recognize their blindness and, therefore, their need for healing mercy. Quite the opposite. They believe that they see very well. They tenaciously hold to their view of reality, which includes Jesus being a sinner (Jn 9:24). Jesus tells them that if they recognized their blindness and (implicitly) came to him for healing, they would not be condemned for their sin. However, they are cocksure about how they see Jesus. Because of this, their sin remains (Jn 9:41). In the judgment, the true eyes of Israel, Jesus the Judge, will blind those who see (Jn 9:39); that is, he will destroy their view of reality and them with it.

The arrogant blind remain with us today, both inside and outside the church. These are the people who come across confidently about their distorted views of reality. These are the people who genuinely believe that Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, or any other religion besides the Christian faith is true. These are the people who confidently assert that all religions are basically the same. These are the people who believe that marriage between a man and a woman is an outdated concept. These are the people who affirm that gender fluidity and identifying yourself as the opposite sex or an animal is legitimate. These are the people who believe that heterosexual sexual activity outside of marriage is perfectly natural. These are the people who see clearly that same-sex unions are normal. These are the people in the church who twist the Scriptures to justify disobeying God and refuse to be convinced otherwise by sound counsel. This is the spouse who believes his or her adulterous relationship must be the will of God because it all feels right. These are the people who call good evil, and evil good, and are very confident in their views.

The Pharisees’ arrogance is a warning to us today, especially in the church (for they were good “churchmen”). Proud eyes, as Solomon calls them in Proverbs, are blind eyes. The antidote to pride is humility. Humility is not a lack of confidence, but rather confidence in the right authorities and a willingness to submit to them when it is clear that I am wrong. Humility always recognizes the lack of omniscience and the need for learning. Humility confesses the need for healing and is willing to admit being wrong when corrected. Humility doesn’t seek self-justification in the face of being shown sin and error but gladly repents and course corrects.

Arrogant eyes are no small matter. They are, in fact, an eternally deadly disease. However, they can be healed

.