A few years ago we saw a local TV ad of a woman sitting in a car. She’s minding her own business, and suddenly a man comes out of the blue, rips the door open, and pulls her out of the car roughly. It looks like he’s attacking her, and we look on in horror. Then the camera pulls back, and we see that the car is on fire and the woman didn’t know it. The man wasn’t assaulting her; he was rescuing her. The ad finishes by saying, “You need the bigger picture. Channel 10 News gives you the bigger picture.”

The ad makes a point—though it uses undue shock and surprise to get your attention. We often need to see the bigger picture.

In the story we have read about Jesus today, it’s clear that the disciples and others need to see a bigger picture too. As they ask Jesus about the blind man, they are only looking through the narrow lens of their own thinking. Jesus explains, though, that the bigger picture in this man’s story is about bringing honor to God.

We need to remember that even though we are often quick to judge what we see, there is always more to the story.

In our own lives, how can we make sure that we see the bigger picture?