Then along came some crazy dude who talked about him with a bunch of other guys. He's sitting there, begging, hopeful for a few shekels so he can buy himself some supper, and they talk about him like he's not even there. Like he doesn't exist. Like he's worth nothing, or less than nothing.
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (from John 9)"Hey," he thinks, "I'm sitting right here. What d'ya mean, I sinned? Just who do you think you are?" He must have been bristling with the thought, then he heard the guy say...
“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
"Neither! Not my folks. Not me. But that the works of God might be displayed. What is he talking about?" The blind man is puzzled. He sits there, wondering, and hears the guy spit. Ugh.
The next thing he feels is wet, gooey muck being put on his useless eyes. Gross!!! What is this guy doing?
“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.”
I wonder what went through his mind. I'm sure he wanted to wash the muck off his face. But what was he thinking as he stumbled along, muddy, blind, pitiful. Was he hopeful? Did he have any idea of what would happen next?
So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Wow! He went. He washed. He obeyed. And he came back, SEEING!
Sometimes the Word of God is so nonchalant about these things that blow me away. This guy was blind. He wasn't having a great day. People were talking about him. Some guy he didn't know spat on the ground to make mud, and smeared it onto his EYES. He was told to go and wash the mess off.
Then he came back, seeing.
It turned into a pretty good day.
But did it?
The neighbours started questioning him. He told them what happened, but they didn't believe him. "Where is this guy?" they asked. "I don't know," he replied.
They grabbed him and made him go and stand before the Pharisees. What should have been a day of rejoicing turned into a day of harassment. "How'd you get your sight? Where is this man? Were you really blind? What do you think of the guy who healed you? Don't you know it's the Sabbath? Where are your parents?"
The harassment continued. When his parents feared the Pharisees, they said their son was of age, ask him. So, the questions began again. "What did he do to you? How'd he open your eyes?"
By this time the man was exasperated. He could SEE! All he wanted to do was to CELEBRATE. So he said to them,
Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
That ticked them off! The Word of God says they reviled him. Then they cast him out.
Things are not as they seem.
This man's day started badly. He had to beg. People he didn't know talked about him as if he could not hear, as if he were mentally deficient. Some fellow he never met before put mud on his eyes, then told him to go and wash it off. He must have been indignant.
But then, his eyes were opened.
One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
But then, he could finally see.
And then it didn't really matter that the people questioned him, and brought him to the Pharisees. It didn't really matter that they mocked him, then threw him out of the synagogue.
He could SEE.
It seemed as if he was having a bad day, but Jesus had a plan. All of those years of blindness were gone in a flash. He could SEE.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
God opened his eyes, and made him see.
It was the best day ever!
How about you? Are you having a bad day? A bad week, or month, or year? Is the world crashing in on you as you struggle to keep your head above water? Are you discouraged with your progress? Are you defeated with your laziness and the ever-present selfishness you deal with every day? Are you having a bad day?
Things are not as they seem!
God is at work. Jesus is still opening the eyes of the blind. He is still spitting in the mud and rubbing it on your eyes, orchestrating the events of your life with a great and holy purpose. Don't bristle at the thought. Just wait on Jesus. He is working! He will bring it to pass.
Very very true. I would be hoppin' mad if all of a sudden wet mud was stuck on my face ON MY EYES. I'd be kicking and screaming for sure. He had faith though, he went and washed it off where he was supposed to.
ReplyDeleteIt is always encouraging to read any scripture where the blind/crippled/dying person is healed through Christ. I always have to remind myself of the 'action' that the person had to take - the part where we, as Christians, need to obey in order to feel the healing. If the blind man had simply wiped the mud off with his robes instead of getting up and going to the designated pool - he'd still be sitting there blind, angry and dirty.
ReplyDeleteThat is so often where I sit on my bad days instead of obeying the Word and feeling the healing! Why do we find it so hard to just do what we're told?! Darn that Eve!
Very encouraging. That God is at work.
ReplyDeleteAnd challenging in that we need to obey Him.
Thanks for sharing this. Definately has some application at my house.
ReplyDeleteBoy did this hit home. Just the other morning the Lord spoke this to my heart too, that God is orchestrating my life. He has a plan " a great and holy purpose."
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