It’s called inattentional blindness. People are unable to see something even though it’s right there in front of them ( see this interesting video on YouTube). Inattentional blindness happens when people encounter something that doesn’t fit a situation and their brain finds it’s difficult to assimilate it.
Inattentional blindness actually happened to me when my wife and I first moved to Russia as missionaries. As we were returning from the post office my wife said, “Oh that poor woman.” I was bewildered by her comment. She then explained that both on our way to the post office and on our way back home we had walked by a dead man and she was referring to the man’s wife who was going to receive some very sad news.
A dead body in the street is not something you expect to see and my inattentional blindness didn’t allow me to see the dead man. According to researchers about 50% of people who encounter theses types of situations won’t see what is actually there.
While reading John chapter 12, in a version of the Bible that I don’t use for daily reading, I discovered a situation where some people had inattentional blindness. Here’s what happened. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday he said to the cheering crowd of people, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32 NLT). The next verse explains the meaning of what Jesus said, “He said this to indicate how he was going to die.” The response of the people clearly demonstrates their inattentional blindness, “We understood from Scripture* that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die?”
Jesus showed these people clearly that He was going to die but they couldn’t see what He was talking about because their understanding contradicted what he was saying. As they understood scripture, the Messiah would never die yet standing before them was that Messiah and He was telling them clearly that he was going to die.
The tragic consequences of the people’s inattentional blindness are recorded in John 12:36, “Jesus went away and was hidden from them.” Rejected revelation resulted in people no longer having the ability to see Christ. He was hidden from them!
My prayer is this, “Please Lord, don’t ever allow me to reject revelation you give simply because it doesn’t fit my understanding.” I never want Jesus to be hidden from me. I need Him every moment of every day!