John 9:35-38, NLT
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
There is a dramatic reversal that takes place in this quick exchange between Jesus and the man whose sight he restored. The man, who has just finished being questioned by the Pharisees, has been expelled from the synagogue by those same Pharisees for calling out their hypocrisy. Jesus finds out about this and goes to find the man. When He does, he invites the man to believe in the Son of Man. The man doesn’t realize that Jesus is talking about Himself, but when Jesus reveals that He is the Son of Man, the man proclaims His belief and begins worshipping Jesus.
The effect of this simple invitation to belief and worship in John’s narrative transforms an outcast into a citizen of the kingdom of God. It serves to signal a much larger shift – a shift in who is considered to be among God’s followers. Before, it is the Pharisees that decide who qualifies. Jesus now asserts that all who put their trust in Him are God’s people – the people who truly see. Those who don’t are left in their darkness, or as Jesus calls it, their blindness.
While Jesus will make that abundantly clear in the text for next time, now is a good time to focus on the invitation to trust. It is not church membership, the endorsement of clergy/leadership, or anything human being can come up with that makes a person one of God’s people. It is the worshipful embrace of the invitation of Jesus. You and I have received that invitation in the text today.
Question: Jesus asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
Prayer: Jesus, I believe. Help our unbelief. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray for leaders in the church who have intentionally or unintentionally excluded others.
Song: Invited – Tenth Ave North
Weekday Word w/ Eric 
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