· Howard Young · Blog · 3 min read
Found by the Light
We don't find our way to the Light; the Light finds His way to us. In the story of the man born blind, we see that grace isn't a reward for sight—it's the gift that makes us see. 🕯️
March 15, 2026
Read Today’s Verse: John 9: 1-41
Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ — John 9:35-37
See also: This Week’s Readings
The Reflection
In the heart of this Lenten season, we encounter a man born blind—a man who did nothing to earn his sight and everything to deserve our compassion. The disciples immediately look for a cause, asking who sinned to bring about this “punishment.”
This is the Law at its most clinical: the belief that our condition is a direct result of our merit or failure. But Jesus shatters this “works-based” worldview. He isn’t interested in tallying debts; He is interested in the Promise.
This narrative is a profound mirror of our own spiritual state.
Apart from the Holy Spirit, we are all “born blind,” unable to perceive the Kingdom of God or find our way to the Father through our own effort. We cannot “do” enough to see; we can only be washed.
Just as Jesus used the dust of the earth and the waters of Siloam, He uses the Word and the Sacraments to find us in our darkness. The man didn’t seek Jesus out; Jesus found him. This is Grace over Works in its purest form—God taking the initiative while we are still sitting by the wayside.
As the story concludes, the man is cast out by the religious elite for his testimony. Here, the Gospel shines brightest. When the world rejects the man, Jesus seeks him out a second time.
The man’s confession, “Lord, I believe,” is not a work of his own will, but a response to the One who stood before him and spoke.
In this Lenten journey, we are reminded that our salvation rests entirely on the rescue mission of Christ. We are saved not by the clarity of our vision, but by the mercy of the One who says, “I am the light of the world.”
Pray with Me
Gracious God, we confess that we often try to earn our way into Your favor or judge others by their struggles.
Forgive us for our blindness and wash us in the promise of Your Word.
Thank You for seeking us out when we were lost and for giving us the gift of faith through Christ alone.
Amen.
