Lessons from John 9: Spiritually Blind

Aug 9

In John 9:4, Jesus revealed that He knew His time here on earth was limited. And, while He was here He must be about His Father’s business. So Jesus encouraged His disciples by saying, (we) must do the work of Him who sent me.

We learned in an earlier lesson that the primary “work” God calls people to is to respond in faith to Jesus Christ. Once regeneration occurs, there is a work prepared in advance by God for His people.

For many of us, that work God has given us is in our families, to our husbands, our children, or our grandchildren. Or maybe it’s in our churches, at our jobs, or in our neighborhoods. Yet for all of us there will come a time when this work will come to an end.

For instance what if God sees fit to relocate you and/or your job? Could you say in that time or in that moment that you have truly done all He desired while you were in those places?

And what if you found out that you were indeed dying and had little time left? Could you honestly say it is finished? I have fully completed everything the Lord desired from me?

Jesus knew His time on earth was limited and He focused on doing what the Father had sent Him to do.

What would you do differently if you knew that 2019 was your last year here on earth? How would you spend your time, or your money?

What relationships would you invest more time in? What relationships would you spend less time in? Who would you mend fences with?

Again, in verse 5, Jesus stated that, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus came to shed light on the truth. That truth is written for us in His holy Word, the Bible. After having said this, Jesus spit on the ground and made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. Now I don’t know about you, but as I thought about this, I thought most people would be offended or put off to have someone’s spit wiped on their face.

But then I thought about the times as a young mother that I had lovingly licked my own finger in order to wipe something from the face of one of my children when they were little, when water was not available. Back then we didn’t have wipes that we carried around with us.

And then I thought about Jesus.

Though He knew the man before Him could not see, Jesus was fully aware that the man had feelings and that he had probably heard the people’s accusations and the insults hurled in his direction over the years. He had probably suffered much ridicule and been the subject of many jokes, though none of it was his fault.

He hadn’t done anything to deserve it. Yet he also couldn’t change it, and so he just lived with it to the best of his ability.

And from what we read in the scriptures, he must have been a friendly man because the neighbors knew him and recognized him. He must have been able to get around with the help of others, and yet this man had gone all his life without seeing a thing.

He never saw the beauty of a sunrise, yet he could smell and feel the rain. The man never witnessed the beauty of a flower, yet he could smell the scent of it and touch its leaves. He also hadn’t seen the faces of those he loved, yet he knew their touch. He could smell their scent and know their voices.

Yet the same was true of those who mocked and ridiculed him. Though he could not see them, he heard their words and felt the sting and pain of their false accusations.

From all appearances, it seems as if this man, in spite of it all, was content to live and die just as he was.

That is, until Jesus walked into his life.

God had other plans for this man’s life. God had reserved this day, this day before the man was ever born, to bring about a display of His goodness and His gift of grace upon this man, his family and friends, and even those who stood by and watched.

And so Jesus lovingly, like a mother who cares for her child, took His own life-giving saliva and mixed it with the dirt of the earth. Compassionately, He placed it on the eyes of the man born blind. And then He instructed him to go and “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (verse 7).

Now John gives you and I some spiritual insight here by telling us that this meant “Sent.” This was likely because physically its source was Hezekiah’s tunnel that sent the water from the Gihon Springs on the east side of David’s city to the west side. Yet spiritually it probably was pointing to Christ, God’s sent One.

The Father had sent Jesus; now Jesus sent the man to the pool for the completion of the miracle. And even though the man did not yet know who Jesus was, he responded in obedience to Jesus’ instructions. He went and washed, and he returned home cured from his lifelong blindness.

Jesus touch of compassion, joined with His life-giving saliva and mingled with the dirt of the earth was placed on the eyes of the blind man. Merging with the man’s obedience to Jesus, it brought the gift of new life and new sight.

Jesus indeed turned this man’s lifelong darkness into the light of life.

Can you just imagine the man and his reaction to his new sight and new life?!

Jesus gives light to the spiritually blind as they act in accordance to the truth of His Word.

Has Jesus become the light of your life?
Has He shattered the darkness and blindness of your soul?
If He has, has He become the light that directs your life?
Is He your comfort and protection as was the pillar and the cloud to God’s ancient people?
Are there areas in your life where you desire God’s light to shine in and through your life more deeply?
What are you doing about this desire?

Terri Hamman