As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
John 9:1-7
Jesus saw the blind man whom others overlooked. Very often Jesus takes note of things that we do not notice and what we note, the Lord overlooks. Are we directed by Him or by a strange spirit? His disciples did not tell the Lord to have pity on the man. The question they asked was who the cause of this man’s problems was. Jesus ignored their questions. Thank God that He is God. Allow God to be God, otherwise you will be a hindrance in God’s work. Thank God that the disciples bowed under their Lord and did not continue questioning. If God speaks, keep silent, lest you quench His Spirit and He stops working in your life. Perhaps you used to be a blessing but somewhere along the line things have gone wrong. Our Lord was in tune with His Father.
At the time of this incident, He was actually fleeing from the professors of religion and the teachers of the law who were accusing Him. He had just been accused of having a demon:
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. John 8:48-59
Jesus, the Lord of the temple, had a zeal for His Father’s house but He was chased out and His life was in danger. The truth came to these people who were caretakers of the treasures of their religion and Jesus had to endure the greatest battles from those who knew the Scriptures, of whom Jesus said, “All that they teach you – keep, but do not do as they do.” We need to make dead sure that our words are under the guidance of God’s truth.
The heathen gave the order for Jesus to be crucified but when Jesus stood before Pilate, He said, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37b. Pilate’s only response was “What is truth?” There were no accusations. There were no lies.
As Jesus fled from the religious leaders, He passed by and noticed the blind man. We are all blind without Jesus. We were born blind. Jesus had compassion on us when He saw us in our lost, dark world. He had the compassion which drove Him to say, “I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.”
Young person, child, what do you choose? Are you aware that you will not be in this world forever? Are you satisfied to be led around and be influenced by any type of darkness? Why don’t you allow Jesus to touch your eyes? Why do you want to stay in your darkness? Can’t you see the light? Don’t you love the light? Why do you love the darkness? Ask Jesus to open your eyes to the light of His glorious gospel and to a life that is revolutionized – a glorious life of redemption, free from the power and guilt of sin; a life that is transformed, invigorated and sweeter than honey.
Love not the world nor the things of the world. If you do, the love of God is not in you. If the love of the world fills you, cry out like other beggars, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then you will be able to feel what Jesus felt when He said that time is short, it is running out and the night is close at hand.
Ezekiel was commissioned by the Lord as a watchman on the walls.
I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 33:7-9
These are the riches of God entrusted to trustworthy prophets and men of God. The task of Ezekiel was more difficult than any other. There are people whom the Lord chooses and has instructed and entrusted them but we easily pass judgement and do not understand what God has said to such men. Why don’t you ask such men whether you are seeing things correctly? Are things in line with God’s will?
There are things you cannot understand with a human mind, you need a spiritual mind: Why did Jesus use His own spittle and not holy water? When Jesus wanted to wash Peter’s feet, He said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” John 13:7. At first, Peter was reluctant and said, “You shall never wash my feet.” “No…I should wash yours”. Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Peter realised that he needed a cleansing and only Christ could do it. Jesus said to Peter that if He washed Peter’s feet, it would suffice. Blessed are Christians who can recognise and understand the words of Jesus.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” Can we hear His voice? We do not know anything about battles that are raging in the air. We need to hear the voice of Jesus and not rely on our own knowledge.
The Lord said, “…but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:32. We can cry out to Jesus, “Pray for me. Touch my eyes that I can see. Lord, I am born blind. I cannot see. I stumble. I need to be guided and helped by others.”
Thanks be to God that the day came when Jesus was able to send this man to go and wash. How glorious it is when all the strife, burdens, oppressions and bondage of sin and evil can be washed and cleansed. After cleansing we get new life, strength and sustenance.
We do not like sitting next to a person who has not washed for 5 or 6 days. We need to evaluate ourselves spiritually when we need to go for a wash. Maybe our eyes have become blurred. Maybe we have a splinter in our eyes, a stone, or a hair and it is painful. If we go for cleansing, the load is lifted. You can go back and apologise for your hard words that pierced, for saying something on the spur pf the moment or out of irritation or resentment because you want cleansing from the Lord and you do not want to grieve Him.
Remember when you could testify of the cleansing of the Lord when He sent you to that pool. Can you still testify of the cleansing power today and that there is nothing that dims your eye? “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life…” Revelations 22:14. He who cleanses himself has that promise.
The blind man who had been healed also received a lot of flack from the religious leaders.
30The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. 35Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:30-36
This man was an outcast just like Jesus but he could see Jesus and he was cleansed. Then he uttered words that only a fool could speak. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. Even the learned people could not contradict what he said. Their response was “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?”
Here is a wonderful picture of unity with Christ. Jesus said, “It is he who is speaking to you.” Can Jesus speak to me and you? In whatever battle or turmoil you may be in, in whatever satan has planned, do you see Jesus, the One who said, “I am speaking to you.”?
May the Lord give us such hearts that long for Him, hearts that long to converse with Him and see Him performing His wondrous deeds.
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