John 9:1-12 – As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” 6 When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he left and washed, and came back seeing. 8 So the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is this not the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” The man himself kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”
“As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Yes, Jesus saw the man, but He was not surprised by seeing the man. He knew the man all of the man’s life. (John 1:45-49) He had heard his prayers. He knew where the man was led to beg. He knew the man, at times, wondered if God truly existed and if He did, was He really good as the man had been told. The man must have wondered why He was born blind and perhaps most horrid, why hadn’t God had mercy on him and healed him?
Tearing pieces from the man’s heart was how people, his fellows who shared his faith and his citizenship, were too often unkind. He heard the remarks they made about him. He heard them talk about other people that were crippled since birth. If they said it about other people they probably accused his loving mother, his faithful father, and even he himself as guilty of being a sinner. People who said such uncaring things to him, were insensitive and accusing him even if they did not point the accusation at him. Yet he only knew his parents as faithful and godly people. The accusers’ rational for people being born with such things as blindness was poisonous to his faith. Every accusation was as if on the tips of spears jabbed repeatedly into him. Oh those remarks, sometimes even from family members, added to his hurt.
“Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. But Jesus, likely within earshot of the man, said that sin was not the reason for the man’s blindness, but rather that this man was born blind because he was to be used to show the glory of the Son of God and to magnify Him to the masses that they may know God’s grace in their lives. Jesus did a work of mercy not only on this man, but also for everyone who witnessed the miraculous healing. Some glorify God by preaching, or by using a gifted singing voice, or talent with an instrument. People acknowledge their talent and clap for them. Yet most preachers, teachers, singers and musicians never know the depth of this man’s suffering. They never had their faith attacked so deeply as this man. This man went through great pain to present God’s glory in a way that shook his city and nation. In fact, for well over two thousand years people have seen the love and beauty of God included in the Gospel. How many untold millions have been blessed and encouraged by his testimony. This blind man glorified Jesus powerfully because He was a man born from birth and healed by the Jesus. Adding to that, this man did not, after being healed, berate Jesus and accuse God of unjustly using and abusing Him. Instead this man believed and defended Him. This man did not consider himself ill-treated by God, but blessed by God. Jesus not only healed him of his blindness, but also healed his heart and spirit. This man was not misused by God, but blessed by God to be so mightily used by Him. Oh to be used as Abraham, as Moses, as Paul and John were used. Also how blessed to be used by God as this blind man was.
“We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.’ It was the Father who sent Jesus to heal this man, to give witness to who Jesus was. The Father sent Jesus to heal the man and Jesus was committed to doing all the works the Father had for Him to do. Jesus was sent by the Father and Jesus obeyed His Father.
“While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” Jesus knew the time for Him to be in the world was limited. Limited not by any human, but by the predetermined plan of His Father. Jesus was to let His light shine, to expose darkness and reveal Truth. And Jesus was about to further fulfill that divine mission. To bring vision to the blind, both physically and spiritually.
“When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes.” Remembering that this man was blind, he didn’t see Jesus spit on the ground and mix it with His spit to make mud. All of a sudden a man was applying something to his eyes. It was an act of faith to not push Jesus away. Did he then know it was Jesus? Did he know who Jesus was? Maybe, but somehow he must have realized that God called him to do as this man was telling him to do. He obeyed. Understanding how what the person was applying to his eyes would work was not something he needed to know. He probably didn’t know he would be healed. The blind man did not need to know how. He needed to trust and obey the who, the how didn’t matter. And Family and Friends, that is our job. God has no obligation to explain to us and we have no right to demand an explanation. (Luke 17-7-19) We must do as the blind man did, trust and obey.
“And said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he left and washed, and came back seeing.” Jesus, without pomp and circumstance, simply sent him to wash off the mud. The man simply obeyed. Interesting that the pool was Siloam which meant “sent.” The Father sent the Son. The Son sent the man and as the Son obeyed the Father, the man obeyed the Son. Simple, but folks that is how it works. No explanations need, just trusting and obeying.
“So the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is this not the one who used to sit and beg?” So people who knew this man were divided if it was he whom they had known. You know how you may have seen at work almost every day but sometimes can meet them on the street and not recognize them because you now see them in a different context. I suppose it was like that. They had seen this man as a poor beggar who was blind. Now they saw him as a fully functioning and capable man who was joyous and confident. Jesus changes people. He changes us, we are not what we once were and will not be what we now are. I hope people who haven’t seen me in a while, who last saw me before becoming a Christian, now see me and declare ‘Something is different about you! What is it?” I love to tell them about Jesus!
“The man himself kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.” The man must have delighted every time the people wondered if it was he and he kept saying to them that it was indeed him. He told them what Jesus had done for Him so they asked Him where Jesus was, but the man did not know. What He knew is that He was once blind but then He could see. He could tell say what Jesus did, but he didn’t know how it worked. He only knew who did the work and that was sufficient. You, know like our testimony. Praise our good and loving God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.