Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lesson selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder

and applicable and with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading and we're reading today

from John, the Gospel of John, Chapter nine from the Message True Blindness Walking down the street, Jesus saw a blind man from birth.

And the disciples asked him, rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents who caused him to be born blind?

Jesus said, you're asking the wrong question.

You're looking for somebody to blame.

There's no such cause effect here.

Look instead for what God can do.

We need to be energetically at work for the one who sent me here.

Working while the sun shines, when night falls, the workday is over.

For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light.

I am the world's light.

He said this and then he spit into the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man's eyes and said, go wash at the pole of Siloam.

Siloam means scent.

The man went and washed and saw.

Soon the town was buzzing.

His relatives and those who year after year had seen him as a blind man begging were saying, why isn't this the man who we knew who sat here and begged?

Others said, it's him all right.

But others objected, it's not the same man at all.

It looks just like him.

He said, it's me, the very one.

And they said, how did you get your eyes opened?

A man named Jesus made a paste and rubbed it on my eyes and told me, go to Siloam and wash.

I did what he said and when I washed I saw.

So where is he?

I don't know.

They marched the man to the Pharisees.

And this day, when Jesus made the paste and healed the blindness was the Sabbath.

The Pharisees grilled him Again on how he had come to see.

And he said, he put a clay

paste on my eyes and I washed,

and now I see.

And some of the Pharisees said, obviously this man can't be from God.

He doesn't keep the Sabbath.

And others countered, how can a bad man do miraculous God revealing things like this?

There was a split in their ranks.

And they came back to the blind man.

You're the expert.

He opened your eyes.

What do you say about him?

And he said, he is a prophet.

The Jews didn't believe it, didn't believe the man who was blind to begin with.

So they called the parents of the man now bright eyed with sight.

And they asked him, is this your son?

The one you saved was born blind, so how is it that he now sees?

His parents said, we know he is our son, and we know he was born blind, but we don't know how he came to see.

Haven't a clue about who opened his eyes.

Why don't you ask him?

He's a grown man and can speak for himself.

His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders who had already decided that anyone who took a stand, that this was the Messiah, would be kicked out of the meeting place.

That's why his parents had asked him, he's a grown man.

And they called the man back a second time.

And the man who had been blind had told him, give credit to God.

We know this man is an imposter.

And he replied, I know nothing about that one way or another.

But I know one thing for sure.

I was blind and now I see.

They said, what did he do to you?

How did he open your eyes?

I've told you over and over again.

You haven't listened.

Why do you want to hear it again?

Are you so eager to become his disciples?

And with that, they jumped all over him.

You might be a disciple of that man, but we're disciples of Moses.

We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from.

And the man replied, this is amazing.

You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is he opened my eyes.

It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will.

That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind who has never been heard of, ever.

If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything.

And they said, you're nothing but dirt.

How dare you take that tone with us.

Then they threw him out into the street.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out and went and found him.

And he asked him, do you believe in the Son of Man?

The man said, point him out to me, sir, so I can believe in him.

And Jesus said, you're looking right at him.

Don't you recognize my voice?

Master, I believe, the man said, and worshiped him.

Jesus then said, I have come into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never been, who have never seen, will see.

And those who have made a greater pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.

Some Pharisees overheard him and said, does that mean you're calling us blind?

Jesus said, if you were really blind, you would be blameless.

But since you claim to see everything so well, you are accountable for every fault and failure.

Oh my goodness.

What a powerful section of scripture about

Jesus and the blind man at the Pole of Siloam and his encounters with the Jewish officials, the Pharisees.

A lot of back and forth here.

A lot of argumentation, a lot of threats, a lot of delight and a miracle happened.

A lot of finger pointing.

Let's unpack it a little bit with some points to ponder.

The first is this.

It's no blame.

Faith disability isn't a moral failure.

God's work looks like dignity and solidarity.

The disciples wanted blame.

Who sinned.

Jesus rejects that framing.

A progressive reading of this passage hears

Jesus dismantling punitive theology.

The man isn't a problem to explain.

He's a person to honor.

God's work isn't found in shaming or policing bodies.

It shows up in ra, restoring community, confronting systems that exclude, and listening to lived experience.

Notice how the neighbors and leaders debate him, deny his story and even throw him out.

And Jesus seeks him out.

That's the shape of grace.

It moves toward those pushed into the margins.

In my own life, I've been married

to a wonderful woman for over 34 years.

We've raised some wonderful adult children, have some great granddaughters, and they all are amazing people.

And I've learned that love doesn't ask, who messed up.

Love asks, how can I show up?

And this posture matters.

Especially when someone's health changes or situations changes or abilities differ.

It's not about fixing people.

It's about seeing people and building access, care and belonging.

True sight is truth telling and courage, not religious smooth talk.

The man's testimony is simple and brave.

I was blind, now I see he won't be bullied into silence.

And a progressive lens notices that Jesus exposes pretend sight, religious certainty that can't recognize God's work right under its nose.

In our community's true sight looks like

accountability, compassion and action.

It resists gatekeeping and honors those long ignored.

It asks who's been thrown out and how can we bring them back in.

Let's talk about an action step today.

Practice, see and serve with constant with consent and care.

Identify one person who's been sidelined, someone with a disability or chronic illness or

simply overlooked at work or church or your neighborhood and ask what would be helpful today.

Then offer some concrete low fanfare act,

a ride, a drink, a cup of coffee, a meal.

Help them navigate some paperwork like insurance, or just 10 minutes of listening without fixing.

Let the story lead you.

Your role is presence and practical love.

That's what we're talking about here.

What did you learn by listening?

We're going to come back and have a prayer here in just a minute, but did want you to know we've got a practical tool for you.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

You can pick it up at our website, voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray.

Jesus, light of the world, thank you for turning our blame into blessing and our assumptions into awareness.

Teach us to see not with pretense, but with compassion and for people walking down a road of adversity, cancer and other things, Help them have rest and humor in their life.

Bless our families, our spouses, our kids, our grandchildren and help us to understand that we are all part of a great family and when systems exclude, make us the kind of people who seek out.

Stand and serve without fanfare, consent and with joy.

Guide our steps everywhere we go.

Help us be the ones who show up in love.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.