John 10 - Stollen Abundance

Jesus is continuing to press on the religious leaders about their blindness. Its irony is thick that Jesus heals a blind man, gives him sight, and he believes Jesus is the Messiah...and yet the religious leaders see the miracle healing and are still spiritually blind. 

This again must be a warning sign to any of us who could fall into the religious leader camp, what spiritual blindness could we be faced with? What thoughts, beliefs, idols, religious dogma are we carrying around that is not in line with Jesus teaching? My guess is, it’s way more than we realize. 

Jesus brings a message to the Pharisees about being spiritually blind, and they didn’t get it. So, he transitions to an illustration of being the good shepherd with sheep, and they were still struggling. So, he lands with this:

“Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭10:6-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus made it clear that: All who came before me were thieves and robbers. 

Jesus later says: The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. 

We typically hear John 10:10 referring to Satan as the thief. I am not arguing against that assessment or teaching. However, reading this in context and all of Jesus' words leave me more thinking that if it is Satan, it will be people that are influenced and used by Him. 

It might not be a popular topic or something we like to think about, but...how could Satan be using us? Could elements of our own spiritual blindness be impacting our witness? Maybe we are carrying baggage that is not teachings of Jesus that are preventing us to truly see Jesus as the Messiah. It’s really easy to read Jesus’ words and take it to the big evil Satan and His attacks on others or us and miss the possibility that we just might be the one who has been tricked and robbed. 

Jesus followed by saying: My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

In other translations is says: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Greek word for ‘abundance,’ perissos, has a mathematical meaning and generally denotes a surplus. Jesus came that we may live in surplus, with more than enough, perissos. 

Take this thought in full context, all the way back to Jesus, trying to bring his point home with the religious leaders after he healed the blind man. Jesus brought abundance into this man's life, a life that before Jesus was darkness, blindness, and waywardness. When confronted by Jesus, this was the healed man said;

“He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭9:38‬ ‭ESV‬

Abundance is available to us today from Jesus. Jesus has come to bring light into our lives, to remove the scales from our eyes, and to walk and see as He does. What I am left contemplating is our salvation is secure, but our abundance is not. The abundant life today that Jesus came for can be robbed and stolen from us, unlike our salvation. Recognizing this, we must continually lean into Jesus and allow him to be our good shepherd and follow his excellent guidance. When we don’t, we can find ourselves blinded, and our abundance stollen.