Instead of Healing, Blindness Came

“Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him (Elymas the sorcerer) and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.’ And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” -Acts 13:9-12 (NKJV).

The Christian movement was going forward at a rapid pace. At Antioch in Syria, the church, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work of missionaries and sent them forth, accompanied by young John Mark. They went to Selucia and then sailed to Cyprus. At Paphos, capitol city of Cyprus, they met up with a sorcerer, a Jew named Bar-Jesus or Elymas. He tried to hinder Barnabas, Saul and John Mark from witnessing to Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of the region.

Elymas’s actions received an immediate reaction from Paul. He looked the sorcerer in the eye, not fearing any of his powers, and told him in bold terms that he was an enemy of righteousness. Furthermore, Paul pronounced blindness on the man and he had to be led around by another. But this act of blinding the blasphemer had a positive effect upon Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, the ruler. He listened further to Paul and became a believer. The reverse of healing occurred to Elymas. His influence on Sergius Paulus with his sorcery, black magic, had been blinding his master to the truth. Paul’s invoking blindness on the sorcerer helped Sergius to see and accept the truth.

So often we can be blinded to the truth by many hindrances. Is prejudice our blind spot? Or holding grudges? Or an unforgiving spirit? Or failure to act upon what God prompts us to do? These are all “enemies to righteousness,” and “pervert the straight ways of the Lord.” God’s grace alone can heal us of any spiritual blindness that keeps us from seeing the light of His Truth. All we have to do is confess, repent and open our heart to His leading. It’s far better to be led by the Lord than to grope in spiritual darkness.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, April 24, 2010