Sight Restored

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!”