Bible Reading
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.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
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.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Devotional
Chapter nine opens on a scene that would be familiar to us, even in today’s world. A homeless person on the side of the street holding a sign revealing some disability and reason for needing charity is not a foreign idea. This man in particular must have been verbally declaring that he had been blind from birth, and apparently that call had worked, for he had survived off the
charity of others up until this point. The knowledge of his condition from birth prompted a genuine question from the disciples.
It was a widely held belief among Jewish culture that suffering, pain and physical defects were the result of sin. They were partially right; the fact that we live in a fallen world is what ultimately has led to all pain, disease, suffering and disability. Had sin not entered into the world, we would still be living in the perfect, harmonious and healthy way that God intended from creation. However, we are feeling the effects of sinful choices made hundreds and even thousands of years ago. To think that this man’s blindness is the punishment or result only because of his own sin, some sin he would commit in the future, or the sin of his parents was both short-sighted and lacking in compassion. When Jesus responds to the question, He declares something amazing about the nature of God in heaven by revealing that even this man’s blindness was in the plan of God so that the works of God should be revealed in him. While blindness and all disease and disability was and is not part of God’s original plan, God in his sovereignty has now adopted these things into His purpose. God declares his own greatness in using whatever happens, whether good or bad, to accomplish His divine purpose. God shows His authority over evil by using it’s effects for His own glory.
Jesus shifts the conversation to one of urgency and action. Instead of focusing on the man only as a theological problem needing to be talked about and debated, Jesus moves to actually make a lasting impact on the situation and teach a more valuable lesson to His disciples. This move to action reminds me of a quote by Charles Spurgeon: “It is ours, not to speculate, but to perform acts of mercy and love, according to the tenor of the gospel. Let us then be less inquisitive and more practical, less for cracking doctrinal nuts, and more for bringing forth the bread of life to the starving multitudes.”
Jesus understood that opportunities for service don’t last forever. Jesus also knew healing this man on the Sabbath would bring greater opposition from the religious leaders who already wanted to silence and kill Him. Yet His compassion for the man drove Him to healing anyway. Jesus used what was undoubtedly one of His more unusual methods leading to a miracle. We can suppose that Jesus wanted to emphasize at least two things. (1) Just as God used the dust of the ground and clay to do a work of creation in Genesis, so Jesus did a work of creation with dust and clay for this man, creating sight where there wasn’t before. (2) Jesus also found it important to change His methods of healing so one could never make a formula of the methods. The power was in God, not in a method or object.
In this miracle, Jesus took all the initiative. Jesus came to the blind man; the blind man did not come to Him. Even so, He expected the blind man to respond with faith-filled action. The healing would not happen unless the man responded with those faith-filled, obedient actions of washing in the pool of Siloam. The water for the pool of Siloam came through Hezekiah’s tunnel, a remarkable engineering feat built in Old Testament divided kingdom times. As a blind man, he had to find his way down to pool the of Siloam and down its steps to the pool itself. He likely could think of a dozen reasons why this was a fool’s errand, but he chose to go and be washed in faith and obedience, because Jesus told him to (and because there was mud in his eyes). Scripture records that he came back seeing: This is the first time in the Biblical record a person born blind was healed of their blindness. From Genesis to John, no prophet, priest, or apostle ever gave sight to eyes born blind. This was a sign that Jesus was Lord and not just a prophet or priest. Psalm 146:8 declares; “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.”
Jesus knew in advance that this healing would lead to the stirring up of the Pharisees and increasing pressure towards having Him arrested. But Jesus never allowed Himself to live under threat or in fear. Jesus was never anxious or worried, but always trusted in the Father. News of this miracle would quickly spread around the area and as the influence of Christ grew. His crowds would grow, but so would His opposition. The same is true of the church today, the more we grow and advance in expanding the kingdom of God, the more opposition we will face. The expanding Kingdom of God will encroach on the boundary lines of existing kingdoms and conflict will ensue. This is the nature of the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of man since the fall in the garden.
As you pursue Jesus and work with urgency and compassion in His name, be prepared for people to resist everything that is of God. Never allow yourself to be intimidated or silenced when it comes to following after Jesus the same way that Jesus was never thwarted in His pursuit of you. This urgent pursuit of compassion and service is God’s plan for your life, since before you were even born.
charity of others up until this point. The knowledge of his condition from birth prompted a genuine question from the disciples.
It was a widely held belief among Jewish culture that suffering, pain and physical defects were the result of sin. They were partially right; the fact that we live in a fallen world is what ultimately has led to all pain, disease, suffering and disability. Had sin not entered into the world, we would still be living in the perfect, harmonious and healthy way that God intended from creation. However, we are feeling the effects of sinful choices made hundreds and even thousands of years ago. To think that this man’s blindness is the punishment or result only because of his own sin, some sin he would commit in the future, or the sin of his parents was both short-sighted and lacking in compassion. When Jesus responds to the question, He declares something amazing about the nature of God in heaven by revealing that even this man’s blindness was in the plan of God so that the works of God should be revealed in him. While blindness and all disease and disability was and is not part of God’s original plan, God in his sovereignty has now adopted these things into His purpose. God declares his own greatness in using whatever happens, whether good or bad, to accomplish His divine purpose. God shows His authority over evil by using it’s effects for His own glory.
Jesus shifts the conversation to one of urgency and action. Instead of focusing on the man only as a theological problem needing to be talked about and debated, Jesus moves to actually make a lasting impact on the situation and teach a more valuable lesson to His disciples. This move to action reminds me of a quote by Charles Spurgeon: “It is ours, not to speculate, but to perform acts of mercy and love, according to the tenor of the gospel. Let us then be less inquisitive and more practical, less for cracking doctrinal nuts, and more for bringing forth the bread of life to the starving multitudes.”
Jesus understood that opportunities for service don’t last forever. Jesus also knew healing this man on the Sabbath would bring greater opposition from the religious leaders who already wanted to silence and kill Him. Yet His compassion for the man drove Him to healing anyway. Jesus used what was undoubtedly one of His more unusual methods leading to a miracle. We can suppose that Jesus wanted to emphasize at least two things. (1) Just as God used the dust of the ground and clay to do a work of creation in Genesis, so Jesus did a work of creation with dust and clay for this man, creating sight where there wasn’t before. (2) Jesus also found it important to change His methods of healing so one could never make a formula of the methods. The power was in God, not in a method or object.
In this miracle, Jesus took all the initiative. Jesus came to the blind man; the blind man did not come to Him. Even so, He expected the blind man to respond with faith-filled action. The healing would not happen unless the man responded with those faith-filled, obedient actions of washing in the pool of Siloam. The water for the pool of Siloam came through Hezekiah’s tunnel, a remarkable engineering feat built in Old Testament divided kingdom times. As a blind man, he had to find his way down to pool the of Siloam and down its steps to the pool itself. He likely could think of a dozen reasons why this was a fool’s errand, but he chose to go and be washed in faith and obedience, because Jesus told him to (and because there was mud in his eyes). Scripture records that he came back seeing: This is the first time in the Biblical record a person born blind was healed of their blindness. From Genesis to John, no prophet, priest, or apostle ever gave sight to eyes born blind. This was a sign that Jesus was Lord and not just a prophet or priest. Psalm 146:8 declares; “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.”
Jesus knew in advance that this healing would lead to the stirring up of the Pharisees and increasing pressure towards having Him arrested. But Jesus never allowed Himself to live under threat or in fear. Jesus was never anxious or worried, but always trusted in the Father. News of this miracle would quickly spread around the area and as the influence of Christ grew. His crowds would grow, but so would His opposition. The same is true of the church today, the more we grow and advance in expanding the kingdom of God, the more opposition we will face. The expanding Kingdom of God will encroach on the boundary lines of existing kingdoms and conflict will ensue. This is the nature of the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of man since the fall in the garden.
As you pursue Jesus and work with urgency and compassion in His name, be prepared for people to resist everything that is of God. Never allow yourself to be intimidated or silenced when it comes to following after Jesus the same way that Jesus was never thwarted in His pursuit of you. This urgent pursuit of compassion and service is God’s plan for your life, since before you were even born.