One Thing I Know...

 “So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!” “What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?” He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.” “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”

They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.

John 9:24-34 (Berean Study Bible)

“One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see.”  Of all the ways in which this man, who was blind from birth, could have testified to the power of Jesus, none could have had more clarity and impact than this word of personal testimony. People can argue and debate the existence of the Divine, the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the legitimacy of the resurrection, the validity of prophecy...but people CANNOT argue with your experience.

Think about it. What have you experienced in your life that goes against what most people think or believe? Perhaps it was a physical miracle that occurred in your body. Maybe you were in a stressful way and there was a moment of peace that simply overwhelmed you. Or, could it have been a near death experience that defied all odds? We’ve all experienced something at least once in our lives that defies reason and explanation. Or, at the very least, left a profound influence upon us and perhaps even those we know.

I (Steve) remember an incident that occurred while at TCU. A few religious studies students - myself included - had been taking a class which placed us in a local church leading various ministries to gain much needed practical ministry experience. One night, after a small group Bible study, a man approached me as we (the students) were supposed to be meeting in another room to talk about what we had just done, how it went, how we were feeling, what could have been better...you get the idea. For the next half hour the man held me spellbound as he spoke about God supernaturally healing his wife while she lay dying in the cold hospital bed and the angel he saw beside her bed that told him she would live. My professor was unhappy with me missing the discussion but when I related to him what I had just experienced he smiled and said, “Well, I can’t argue with that can I?”

I didn’t question the man over what he saw, what he heard or what he felt. How could I? It was what he experienced AND it was in line with the Holy Scriptures of our faith.  I might have not been there, I certainly could not vouch for the validity of his story/experience, but who am I to judge? I can imagine him saying, “One thing I know, my wife was dying but now she is alive.”

When is the last time you heard some story that defied reality or your set of beliefs? When was the last time you shared a story with someone that resonated with them?  For that matter, when was the last time you read the Bible and pondered the great stories of our faith - the experiences that define who we are and what we believe? Events and experiences such as:

• The creation

• The Flood

• The Israelites escape from Egypt with all of the plagues of God upon the Egyptians

• Joshua marching around Jericho

• Daniel in the lion’s den

• The birth of Jesus

• The miracles of Jesus

• People touching Peter’s cloak and being healed

Christianity has spread primarily because of two reasons: first and foremost, the testimonies, stories and experiences found in the New Testament of the Bible; secondly, the personal testimonies and experiences of those who follow Jesus. People just like you. Society and culture  today only “see” and “hear” Jesus when they see and hear you. What is the story you need to share? What experience have you had in Christ that you need to tell someone about this week? 

Take the opportunity soon to share what Jesus has done for you. If someone questions you can always say, “Well, all I know is this…” 

Steve and Missy