This miracle of the man born blind receiving his sight and salvation when Jesus reveals himself as the light of the world reminded me of the condition of man as well as the nature of missions. This man, having been found by Jesus and enabled by divine power, for the first time in his life:

• SAW JESUS
  
• HEARD JESUS
  
• BELIEVED IN JESUS
  
• WORSHIPPED JESUS.
  
  

His example can help us in our work and our prayers as we realize that French people too need to:

1. France’s big problem is blindness. The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel. French people des-perately need to see Jesus. For most French, the only ‘Jesus’ they have seen comes in two forms, both visible in every city and village: either a baby sucking his thumb in the arms of his mother Mary, or a frail, limp, weakly, drooping man hung on a crucifix. Neither represents the glorious, risen, beautiful Lord of Lords. Pray that God would continue performing that Genesis 1:3-like miracle and speak light into dark hearts. Pray that the Christians would be unsullied lights, correctly reflecting the true Light of the world.

2. French people need to hear Jesus and his message of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. We, as missionaries and pastors, are fully convinced that the preaching and proclamation of Christ crucified is the power of God to save, but we are often discouraged here to find that no one is listening… Since faith comes by hearing, we are constantly praying for listeners and receptive ears. Pray for our church services, conferences, Bible studies, baptisms, marriages, holiday programs, etc where the preaching of Christ crucified takes place, that those present would realize that God is talking directly to them through Jesus Christ, the living word of God.

Pray for those of us who preach, that we might effectively address those who need to hear with the clear, powerful, wooing, and disturbing message of the gospel.

3. “I believe!” Words to live by (eternally), according to Jesus. We love to hear those words as the sincere expression of those whom we minister among. That’s our victory. Pray that God would author faith in the lives of those around us (Pascal, Claire, Charlene, Blaise, etc.) and bring them to joyfully and honestly say, “I believe.” Pray for our own faith, that it would stay strong despite fatigue, annoyances, and tribulations, and prove us to be overcomers.

4. True faith is immediately followed by genuine worship. Directly upon believing, this blind man bowed in worship and adoration. This then is my ultimate goal among the French people: that they might worship God. Those who have truly seen the light of the glorious gospel of Christ can’t help but worship. Pray that we might be able to portray Jesus Christ in such a way that leads people, not only to believe in Him, but also to passionately and reverently worship Him. May we, like the Psalmist, call the peoples of the earth to “worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness, and tremble before Him.”

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année, Sam