John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV) Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
As I read these verses, I couldn’t figure out who really was blind. Or for that matter who was the blindest? It appears that the only person not blind in this scripture is Jesus. The disciples were blinded of the true value of the blind man. They wanted to figure out whose fault it was that this man was blind. They could not see that this man was a person that mattered to Jesus and had value to GOD. They thought the man was “damaged” and had no value.
The blind man was blind physically, but not spiritually. He allowed Jesus to smear mud over his eyes. I am sure that the blind man had been physically and verbally abused his entire life. However, he allowed Jesus to put mud in his eyes and then did exactly as Jesus told him. He went and washed in the Pool of Siloam. He could just as easily wiped his eyes clean with a rag or found water elsewhere to clean his face. But he “blindly” faithfully followed Jesus’ instructions and his sight was restored.
Then the neighbors instead of witnessing God’s Grace, decided that this was not “the same man who used to beg.” They were blinded and could not see the miracle that Jesus had performed. If you continue to read the rest of the chapter, you learn that the neighbors took the blind man to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were also blinded and decided the man and Jesus were both sinners.
So I ask, Who is the blindest? Was the blind man really blind? He saw Jesus for who He was and faithfully did as he was told. Jesus saw the value in the blind man and the value in each of us.
Jesus tells us to follow Him and allow the “works of God” to be displayed in us. He is the light and He asks us to be His light in the world. He asks us to faithfully follow Him, to see His Light and to shine that Light on all that we come into contact with today and every day until we sit at the throne of Jesus.
Dear Lord thank you for shining your light on me. Help me not to be blinded by the beauty of this world that you have created for me. Help me to see all of the grace that you have bestowed on me. Use me as your light to shine on each person that I come into contact with today and everyday. Amen!
Jerry