Text: “Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes” (John 9:6).
As we travel throughout the days, weeks, and years of our life, we miss opportunities to reach out and help one of God’s children in need. At times, it is as though we have on blinders preventing us from having peripheral vision. As the farmer uses blinders on his horses to keep them looking straight ahead, we somehow develop the same type of vision.
Those of us who have children know that they have a tendency to walk right by the overflowing trash can in the kitchen to go outside or to get something out of the cupboard or off the shelf. I have observed people in a restaurant who will drop their napkin, spoon, jelly container or butter container on the floor and never pick it up.
Just the other day I saw a person knock their butter knife on the floor, finish eating and then get up and leave the knife on the floor for someone to pick up or slip on. Are these people blind or do they just not care? Do they have no consideration for other people? Do they not care or are they not concerned about the safety or welfare of other people?
Have you ever passed someone on the sidewalk or walked by someone in front of a store who asks for a few cents to buy a cup of coffee or some money to buy something to eat. I recently stopped at a 7-Eleven store to buy a soft drink and as I walked to my car a gentleman came up to me and told me his radiator hose on his van sprung a leak.
I listened to what he had to say. He asked if I could loan him a few dollars to go over to the auto store and buy the needed hose. He told me where he worked, showed me his ID card and his work ID badge. He kept apologizing for bothering me and told me how much he hated to ask, but at this point, he had no alternative.
I asked how much the hose cost and he told me $14.00 dollars. He could put it on the van himself. He invited me to look at the van, but I said I believed him. The man said he would return the money to me in about a week.
As I talked to him, this question ran through my mind: “What would Jesus do?” In my heart I knew what Jesus would do, so I opened my wallet and found I did not have $14.00, but I did have $12.00. I gave him this money with my clergy card which had my name, address and phone number on it. I didn’t give him a sermon, but I did tell him that Jesus loves him. He was a very polite man. He seemed to be very appreciative.
I did not judge him because I knew Jesus would not judge him. I didn’t question him because I knew Jesus wouldn’t question him. I didn’t expect to get the money returned because I knew Jesus expects nothing in return for His deeds. When I left the man I had a good feeling. I felt like I did what Jesus would have done.
I was not blind. I saw the man had a need as I visualized myself in his shoes. What would I have done? What do I do when I have a need that requires the assistance of someone else to fill that need? I am going to ask just as this man asked me for help.
I could have walked away from the man, but this is not what Jesus would have done. I could have brushed him off telling him that I do not have time to listen. Jesus would not have done this. I could have turned my head and pretended I did not hear him or see him, but there was nothing wrong with my vision.
Jesus never turned His head, He never walked away from someone with a need or He never pretended He had a hearing problem. Jesus had time for multitudes of people as well as time for people on a one-on-one basis. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my Lord and Savior. I wanted to do the right thing and when we follow Jesus’ word we are doing the right thing.
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1). It is a fact that some people are blind from birth. Why is this? Is it the fault of the parents? Is this punishment for something the parents had done? The answer is a very emphatic, No!”
Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) The disciples were thinking the way many people think. It is interesting to note that Jesus took time to listen to the blind man. He always has time to listen to our wants and needs.
In the Jewish culture of the day, the common belief was that when something of this nature happened, someone in the family had sinned. This is why the disciples asked Jesus the question, “Rabbi, who sinned…”
Jesus response to the disciples was “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). Since the sin of disobedience, bad things have happened to good people. But when this happens, God has an opportunity to reach out and provide for this person and at the same time demonstrate His good to other people.
Jesus was upon the earth to do the work of the Father. He said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me” (John 9:4). Jesus was in a position to show His love, His compassion, His understanding and His willingness to extend a helping hand which brings light into the eyes of the blind man.
There are events that happen to us which we may not like or that we may not understand, but these events may be the manifestation of God’s work directing glory to Almighty God where it belongs. If we do not recognize God in the ordinary everyday events of life, we will not be able to recognize Him in the extraordinary events that come upon us.
Here was a man who was blind since birth. Is this the first time the man’s blindness has come to light? Were the disciples the first to question the reason for the man’s blindness?
Scripture tells us, “His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, ‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’” (John 9:8) It appears that other people knew of the man’s blindness, but no one was overly concerned. They saw him begging, but really did not pay a great deal of attention to him.
You and I probably do that more than we would care to remember. We see people who are hurting or who need help of some kind, but we accept their status and thank God it is not us.
Jesus saw the man and saw an opportunity to make known who He was and what was His mission. He said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me” (John 9:4).
Jesus considered His work or His mission very necessary and very important. Normally, work was not done on the Sabbath, but Jesus considered this work so important and necessary that He did not hesitate to help the blind man.
If we are to follow the example set for us by Jesus, each one of us will do the work God would have us do. If we are working together with God, then we will do whatever He wants us to do. We must not just think of our work, but we must actually use our God-given energy and strength and perform the tasks God has set before us.
If our work is to preach, we must preach. If our work is to witness, we must use our energy to witness. If our work is to teach, then we must use our time, talent and means to teach.
When are we to do the work God has placed before us? If we are to follow Jesus’ example, we will do the work while it is day. Our day is the time we have here on earth. It will be too late after God has called us home to be with Him. As Jesus said, “Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).
When Jesus says, “As long as it is day..,” He is referring to His ministry here upon earth (His Messianic ministry). When He says, “Night is coming..,” Jesus is referring to the Crucifixion.
Jesus said, “I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Jesus made this same statement in John 8:12. Jesus is the light of the world because He is the Creator of the world. His light opened the eyes of mankind revealing their sinfulness and their need for a Savior.
Jesus, the true Light, will light our path as we walk through life. He will remove the dark shadow of sin that surrounds us and allow His light to shine on us and through us. When His light is shining on us and through us we will never need to worry about stumbling in the darkness.
Jesus saw the blind man and was ready and willing to permit His light to shine forth so that the blind man and people who were spiritually blind could see.
Jesus says to us, “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).
Jesus is saying that if we live for Him, we will shine forth as He shines forth. The light in us will cause us to glow which will be a witness for Jesus. When others look at us, they will know we are different. They will realize that we have something very different and they will seek to have what we have.
Jesus was going to do something that had never been done. He was going to glorify the Father by bringing sight to the eyes of the blind man. By doing this, the eyes of many other people would be opened. Jesus was about to demonstrate a heavenly power which would put in place, making it known who He was.
Jesus was going to use a unique technique to restore the man’s sight. “He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva and put it on the man’s eyes” (John 9:6). For someone to spit on the ground and make mud with saliva would be considered gross today. To pick it up would be nasty. To apply it to any part of the body would be considered absolutely unhealthy.
It might have been considered like this in Jesus’ day, but Jesus didn’t follow the dictates or thoughts of the world. This mud mixture that Jesus was preparing could only be effective in His hands. The blind man was willing to come to Jesus so that Jesus could do something for him.
If we want Jesus to do anything for us, we must be willing to let Him do as He wants. We must give Him the opportunity to use His divine power to bring about the desired results. The blind man was willing to let Jesus place the mud on His eyes.
Then he had to be willing to follow Jesus’ directions. After Jesus anointed the man with the mud, He said to the blind man, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:7). The blind man did go to the Pool and do as Jesus directed. The result was the man’s sight was restored.
We are usually pretty good at asking Jesus for something, but we are not too good at listening to His response and following through. That is the reason that many things we ask for do not become real to us. Jesus teaches, but we do not listen. We aren’t very good students.
When the man went to the Pool and washed the mud from his eyes, the miracle was that of sight. He could see. He had never been able to see anything, but now he could see everything. The mud was not the element that brought sight to the man, but instead, it was the man’s faith.
The blind man was confident that Jesus had the power to bring light to his eyes. The man was obedient by following Jesus’ directions. “So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9:7).
After this miracle took place and sight was restored to the blind man, many people could not understand how this could happen. Many knew the man and knew that he was born blind, but now he could see.
The blind man who could now see became a living testimony to the grace of Almighty God. When questioned about how this healing took place and who did the healing, he replied, “This 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” (John 9:11).
All the blind man knew was the one who made the mud and placed it on his eyes went by the name of Jesus. He couldn’t describe Jesus because he had never seen him. He only knew that at one time he was blind, but now he could see.
Conclusion:
Jesus saw a blind man who begged for a living. He had sympathy for him and used him to open the eyes of many people of the day. Jesus did not pass up the blind man. He didn’t look the other way. He stepped up and took action immediately. He did the work His Father sent Him to do and He did it before night came. He was the Light of the world and He wants to share that light with other people.
Jesus wants us to have the opportunity to bask in His light, but we must go to Him; listen to what He tells us and then follow His directions to the tee. Miracles are happening today just as they did in Jesus’ day. People are being healed because they are obedient to His word while placing their faith and trust in the Son of God.
There are many people who are physically blind, but have perfect 20/20 spiritual vision. On the other hand, there are people who have perfect 20/20 physical vision, but who are spiritually blind.
If we are followers of Jesus, we will do all we can to let His light shine through us and out to all those people around us. We will tell others what Jesus has done for us and that He lives within our heart. We will share with those who will listen how they can have what we have. Our efforts may open the eyes of the blind and bring glory to Almighty God.
I want to share with you a little story sent to my internet mailbox.
Story: “Two Horses”
Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse, however, if one stops the car – or is walking by – one will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing, but close observation will reveal something even more amazing.
Listening closely, one will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are like the blind horse, being guided by God and those whom He places in our lives. Other times, we are the guide horse, helping others see God.
--------------Author Unknown
Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).
Amen.
