A highlight from my tour of Israel involved no light. Some friends encouraged me to go with them through King Hezekiah’s tunnel. To give you a dark visual, this tunnel is about 5½ football fields long, 3.28 feet deep with water in some areas, and as narrow as 1.9 feet. Oh, and did I mention I’m extremely claustrophobic? Halfway through the tunnel, the batteries on all three of our flashlights went dead. Yup, heavy breathing and gasping for air took over, and I was in the darkest place I have ever been.

“‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’” (John 9:3). With this text, Jesus is helping his disciples see that it is Jesus alone who can open the eyes of the blind. The listening Pharisees didn’t think they needed saving because their good works alone could save them. WRONG—and blind. It’s God’s grace and faith in Jesus alone that save. The disciples saw the man’s blindness as a punishment from God. WRONG—and blind. Man’s critical need is God’s opportunity. 

What got us through that tunnel in Israel was listening to each other’s voices. As you travel the tunnel of life, listen to the One who traveled and kept the path of the law for you and whose voice and saliva can cure any blindness. Better than an “I survived King Hezekiah’s tunnel” T-shirt is the statement: I will survive death because of the GREAT KING JESUS.