Mud Pies and Opened Eyes (John Part 28)
Text: John 9:1-7
So if you remember from last time, we talked about how God is sovereign and almighty, and that how He is able to heal, to bless, and to do whatever He wills, but at times He has a greater plan than we can understand, and so at times He will allow us to endure hardship, or suffering, or sickness, because He’s working something out through that. We might not know what it is, or why, but we know that it’s for good, because God is good. He is morally upright and perfect in all His ways. So we endure it, trusting in His goodness, grace, and sovereign will.
For the blind man in John 9, God’s plan was to heal him at this particular moment in time, and show that Jesus is God. That’s what we read last week… John 9:3 – The man; nor his parents had sinned. He instead was born blind SO THAT – the works of God might be displayed in him.
So we’re going to continue on with this today, and we’ll read verses 1 – 7 (READ John 9:1-7).
Ok… so God had a plan for this man’s blindness… and His plan was that this man would be born blind, and that he would remain blind up until this moment in time, when he would encounter Jesus and Jesus would heal him. And by healing him, Jesus would show that He was God the Son. That He was God in flesh, Emmanuel. But God’s plan also includes a secondary purpose.
You see there in verse 4, before Jesus heals the man, He’s going to take a bit of time and teach His disciples.
FIRST: He tells them that sin didn’t cause the man’s blindness, but rather it was part of God’s plan… So that, “The works of God could be displayed in him.” But then He goes and says to them, “WE must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Now do you notice how He includes His disciples (and us by extension) into this doing of the works? Jesus intends His followers to be doing what He was doing… in-fact; that’s kind of what “following” someone means. We walk where they walk. We go where they go. We engage ourselves in the things they’re doing. So when you come across someone in need, how do you respond? You can respond like the Pharisees usually did… in other words, you can look at that person with contempt, or indifference. You can respond like the disciples do here in Luke 9… in other words, you treat the person and situation simply as a theoretical, theological puzzle to be solved… “Oh look how deep of thinkers we are. Look at how spiritual we are. Obviously that man sinned, but we didn’t so we can talk in a theological manner about him and his condition.” OR… we can be followers of Jesus and respond as He would… How does He respond? With grace, and mercy, and action! In other words, He doesn’t just say, “Oh poor you. I feel really bad for you. But He does something.” Now that doesn’t mean we can necessarily heal like Jesus does. The Spiritual Gift of Healing; we’re told, is given as the Spirit wills… You can’t just manufacture it, and make it happen on your own. God has to be involved in those kinds of miracles. But we can pray for healing. We can help the individual who needs help. We can do something to show God’s love and God’s glory. And again; that’s why He said, “WE must work the works of Him who sent Me.”
Turn with me over to Ephesians chapter two… Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
How does that look in our lives?
Well… let’s turn over to Philippians chapter two really quick (READ Philippians 2:1-15).
Did you catch that?
Have the mind of Christ. Be humble. Count others as more significant than ourselves. Look to the interests of others. Be a servant. Be obedient, even to the point of death. Do all things without grumbling or disputing… and we’ll shine like lights in this dark, crooked, and twisted generation.
And we’re to do that while we can… Do that while it’s light… because darkness is coming. Jesus knew His time was drawing near… and the disciples who are there with Him… they didn’t have much longer themselves. James, John’s brother would die about 11 years after Jesus. John would die in about 95 AD… about 62 years after Jesus… and all the others died sometime between those two.
The point is, work while you can. Serve God while you can. Live for Him every day.
Or as John Piper says – DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE!
OK… let’s go on with the text here. So Jesus has noticed the man… The man doesn’t see Him or call out to Him, Jesus initiates this contact. And Jesus also takes the opportunity to teach a lesson to His disciples as well. And then… look at verses 6 & 7 (READ).
Now this is one of those things were you go… “OK… that’s strange.” Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud out of it, puts the mud on the man’s eyes, and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. That’s weird right? But at the same time, we know that Jesus never did anything without a reason. And I’ll just tell you, I looked through about a dozen commentaries to try and see what wiser men than me said about the reason Jesus did this. John MacArthur said, “I don’t know why Jesus did this.” Matthew Henry basically tied it back to the fact that God created man out of the dust of the earth, another commentator took that even further and said that Jesus made brand new eyeballs for the guy. The ancient Jewish commentators believed that saliva had some medicinal properties. But I don’t know that we have any evidence for any of those. I actually think the answer is right here in front of us… right here in John chapter 9. In verse 4 Jesus says, “We have to work while it’s day…” Now jump down a few verses to verse 14 (READ)… It was a Sabbath day when Jesus MADE MUD… and then verse 16, the Pharisees use that as an excuse. They say, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” So according to them, how did Jesus break the Sabbath? He worked. How did He work? He made mud. It’s ridiculous right? “You made a mud pie! You worked! You broke the Sabbath!” It never ceases to amaze me how insane and irrational lost people can be. But that’s how they were. And I really think that’s why Jesus did it this way. He had already gotten them all torked off at Him before for healing on the Sabbath and telling the man to take up his bed and walk. Now Jesus is making mud. He’s doing work. How dare He!
Why? Because He just said it… Darkness is coming… He knows His time is short. He knows that soon He’s going to be nailed to the cross, and shed His blood for our sin. All of this stuff has to be in accordance with God’s plans and purposes.
The blind man is blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus does the works of God – ON THE SABBATH, so that the works of God (meaning salvation for sinners) can be fulfilled. Isn’t God amazing!?!
Now we have to get the application before I run out of time…
Jesus puts the mud on the man’s eyes and tells him “Go! Wash in the pool of Siloam.” Church what does faith do? What does true, saving faith do? How does it show itself? What did Abel do when he believed God? He OFFERED a more acceptable sacrifice. What did Noah do when he believed God? He BUILT an ark. What did Abraham do when he believed God? He WENT to a foreign land… and he OFFERED UP Isaac. What did Moses do when he believed God? REFUSED to be called Pharaoh’s son, CHOOSING instead to suffer reproach. By faith he LEFT Egypt, and by faith he KEPT the Passover. Faith without works is dead. That’s what James tells us. How do we know this man believed? HE OBEYED! He trusted Jesus, and he went to the pool of Siloam and did as he was commanded to do. And look what happened… “He came back seeing.”
Church I am not saying that we do works for salvation. The Bible doesn’t teach that. It teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
WHAT I AM SAYING, and what the Bible is saying is that a person who is saved… and that a person who has true, saving faith. WILL follow and obey Jesus. A person who is saved, and who has true saving faith, will give evidence to their salvation and their faith, by serving the Lord.
The Bible makes it pretty clear that a person who is saved, and who has true saving faith, will give of himself… they will give their time, their energy, their strength, their mind, and their money to further the purpose and kingdom of Christ.
And people say, “Well what does that mean pastor Ken? Does that mean I’ve got to teach Sunday School? Does it mean I need to help with Wednesday night meals? Or VBS?” Nope. It means you do the Great Commission… You go into all the world, share the Gospel with others, and make disciples. We’re told to do that as individuals, and collectively as the Body of Christ. How you do that depends on you. The outreaches, and programs of our church were born out of a desire to do that, and at the time they were started they were the best way we could do it as a congregation. They are a way that we can do that collectively. They are offered as a way for you to engage in ministry and service… but they aren’t the only way.
And sometimes maybe not even the best way.
I was talking to Kaylie the other day, and she was telling me that once they get settled in a new place, they’re going to intentionally start having people over for dinner and discipleship.
THAT’S EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THE BIBLE SAYS WE SHOULD BE DOING!
I talked with Leslie the other day on the phone. She’s leading Bible studies with international students at the BCM at NSU. Once a week, she and her friends go to the park, or go through neighborhoods in Tahlequah and share the Gospel. Jeff is sharing the Gospel with the guys he works with, and ministering to them all the time.
That’s the thing… true, saving faith is an obeying faith. It’s a giving faith. It’s a following faith.
The man is commanded by Jesus to go wash in the pool of Siloam. That’s what he does. It’s a simple act of obedience that came out of faith. And you know what happened?
HE CAME BACK SEEING!
LET’S PRAY
CLOSING
