Reflection on the Blind Man
In reflection on yesterday’s sermon on John 9, I could not help but think about what many people today would have done had they been the blind man.
You see, in this story Jesus uses spit, mud, and a pool of water to heal a man who had been blind from birth. There is then a great debate then ensues between the Pharisees and the blind man over who this Jesus is.
The part that really caught me the most, however, is how the man who was healed, and who did not even know really who it was that had healed him, was so adamant about defending the actions of his healer. I could not help but wonder what this man would have done in today’s world.
Here is my guess, and again, this is just a guess. When the Pharisees found out that this man had been healed they would have gone out and gotten a copyright on the spit, mud, and water and then created a business which sold this special type of mud and water. They then would have run an infomercial claiming that they had invented a special type of mud that when combined with their healing spit and washed in this special water would lead to the curing of illnesses and diseases. They would have used this man who everyone knew use to be blind, and would have made a fortune out of all of this. Then, when they had sold all they could sell they would wrap the man up in some sort of litigation and leave him to die a poor broke man who could only get his money by paying millions of dollars in legal fees and waiting a couple of decades to get his settlement.
Sound crazy? Is it really though? Have you been healed? If you are a Christian then the answer is a resounding yes.
If you claim to be a Christian you are claiming to have been given spiritual sight, even though you were born spiritually blind.
But is that what you claim? Do you claim that you were completely blind and Jesus came out of nowhere and healed you? Or do you claim that you followed a method, did a few key steps, said a few key words, and then all of a sudden you could see?
Ezekiel 37 tells a story of the prophet after whom the book is titled being told by God to go and prophesy to a valley of dry bones. He is told to prophesy to them so that they will come back together and live again. When Ezekiel goes to prophesy, he knows that there is no way he can do or say anything to make these bones come back to life. That is, unless God shows up in a big way.
Do you claim that God is the reason your scattered spiritual bones are alive? Or do you claim it was because of what someone said?
John 8:58
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
Who are we to think that we have done anything to deserve this free gift of grace? Who are we to do anything but give praise to our Lord and Saviour. We were once blind, but now we see.
I pray that as I go forward and live out the gospel in my life, I would do so in such a way as to acknowledge that it is not of anything we do that people are given spiritual life, it truly is all because of Jesus.
1Co 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
You see, in this story Jesus uses spit, mud, and a pool of water to heal a man who had been blind from birth. There is then a great debate then ensues between the Pharisees and the blind man over who this Jesus is.
The part that really caught me the most, however, is how the man who was healed, and who did not even know really who it was that had healed him, was so adamant about defending the actions of his healer. I could not help but wonder what this man would have done in today’s world.
Here is my guess, and again, this is just a guess. When the Pharisees found out that this man had been healed they would have gone out and gotten a copyright on the spit, mud, and water and then created a business which sold this special type of mud and water. They then would have run an infomercial claiming that they had invented a special type of mud that when combined with their healing spit and washed in this special water would lead to the curing of illnesses and diseases. They would have used this man who everyone knew use to be blind, and would have made a fortune out of all of this. Then, when they had sold all they could sell they would wrap the man up in some sort of litigation and leave him to die a poor broke man who could only get his money by paying millions of dollars in legal fees and waiting a couple of decades to get his settlement.
Sound crazy? Is it really though? Have you been healed? If you are a Christian then the answer is a resounding yes.
If you claim to be a Christian you are claiming to have been given spiritual sight, even though you were born spiritually blind.
But is that what you claim? Do you claim that you were completely blind and Jesus came out of nowhere and healed you? Or do you claim that you followed a method, did a few key steps, said a few key words, and then all of a sudden you could see?
Ezekiel 37 tells a story of the prophet after whom the book is titled being told by God to go and prophesy to a valley of dry bones. He is told to prophesy to them so that they will come back together and live again. When Ezekiel goes to prophesy, he knows that there is no way he can do or say anything to make these bones come back to life. That is, unless God shows up in a big way.
Do you claim that God is the reason your scattered spiritual bones are alive? Or do you claim it was because of what someone said?
John 8:58
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
Who are we to think that we have done anything to deserve this free gift of grace? Who are we to do anything but give praise to our Lord and Saviour. We were once blind, but now we see.
I pray that as I go forward and live out the gospel in my life, I would do so in such a way as to acknowledge that it is not of anything we do that people are given spiritual life, it truly is all because of Jesus.
1Co 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
posted by Alan Micah at 8:07 PM
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