John 9:13-34
The man who had been blind since birth can now see. Jesus Christ's touch brought light to the man's dark world. The beauty of God's creation, the faces of those he loved, must have amazed him as he viewed them for the first time. Can you imagine the celebration going on in his heart at that moment?
The religious Pharisees were so concerned with whether or not a law was broken during the healing, that they fail to see the bigger picture - a blind man's sight was restored! Praise God! A miracle happened and instead of rejoicing, they are nit-picking.
The man's parents are called because the religious leaders doubt the miracle. Was this man even blind to begin with? Really, Pharisees! You passed by him for years - did you even look at him, or was that beneath you? The parents verify that the man was blind, but are afraid - to acknowledge Christ would cause them to be put out of the synagogue.
So they summon the man back for more questioning. He doesn't know anything about Jesus, except this: "I was blind, but now I see!" Then he goes on to share some profound wisdom with them. "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." The man who has been blind since birth knows more about God than the religious men who have studied the law for years. Were they impressed? No, they threw him out!
When we believe in Christ, the Light, and He heals our spiritual blindness, the darkness is gone and we live a new life of faith in Him. Like the blind man we will face those that ridicule or doubt the miracle Christ has performed in our lives. When this happens will we be ashamed to acknowledge who Christ is, like the man's parents, or we will we choose to follow the man's example and tell the truth about Jesus?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Light Takes Away Darkness
After struggling with a major glitch that was keeping me from posting, suddenly, today I have access to compose on this blog! I'm not sure how, or why it wouldn't work before, but rather than spend time puzzling over those questions I will seize the opportunity to carry on in the book of John!
John 9:3-12
Jesus, the Light of the World, meets a man who has been blind - in the dark - since birth.
Does Jesus leave him in darkness? No, He tells His disciples that while it is day He will do the work of the One who sent Him. On that day, God's work would be displayed in the life of that particular blind man.
Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, and put it on the man's eyes. It makes no sense that dirt and saliva would heal this man's eyes, and perhaps that's the point. An expensive tube of ointment, far beyond the man's reach in its cost, might be expected to heal - but mud? If a healing occurred, then it would be a truly unexpected miracle! Something only God could accomplish.
Jesus then gave instructions for the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, the man did, and went home with his sight.
On his way home he passes neighbors and people who had seen him begging. There was a debate over who he was - the miracle left him a changed man that some couldn't even recognize. The man insists that he is the same man they knew as a blind beggar. "Then how were your eyes opened?", they demanded. The man gave them a testimony that displayed the work of God in his life - the story of Jesus's healing touch that brought light to his darkness.
When we believe in Jesus, our life, like the blind man's, is forever changed. The people that we have lived and worked with may not recognize us, because the difference He makes in our life is so great. As we share the story of how Christ has touched our life, God will be glorified. And the ones we share our testimony with may have a question: "Where is this Man?" The blind man didn't know where Christ was at the moment they asked, but if we know Christ as our Lord and Savior we have an answer for those who ask: "He's in my heart - and can abide with you, too. All you need to do is ask!"
John 9:3-12
Jesus, the Light of the World, meets a man who has been blind - in the dark - since birth.
Does Jesus leave him in darkness? No, He tells His disciples that while it is day He will do the work of the One who sent Him. On that day, God's work would be displayed in the life of that particular blind man.
Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, and put it on the man's eyes. It makes no sense that dirt and saliva would heal this man's eyes, and perhaps that's the point. An expensive tube of ointment, far beyond the man's reach in its cost, might be expected to heal - but mud? If a healing occurred, then it would be a truly unexpected miracle! Something only God could accomplish.
Jesus then gave instructions for the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, the man did, and went home with his sight.
On his way home he passes neighbors and people who had seen him begging. There was a debate over who he was - the miracle left him a changed man that some couldn't even recognize. The man insists that he is the same man they knew as a blind beggar. "Then how were your eyes opened?", they demanded. The man gave them a testimony that displayed the work of God in his life - the story of Jesus's healing touch that brought light to his darkness.
When we believe in Jesus, our life, like the blind man's, is forever changed. The people that we have lived and worked with may not recognize us, because the difference He makes in our life is so great. As we share the story of how Christ has touched our life, God will be glorified. And the ones we share our testimony with may have a question: "Where is this Man?" The blind man didn't know where Christ was at the moment they asked, but if we know Christ as our Lord and Savior we have an answer for those who ask: "He's in my heart - and can abide with you, too. All you need to do is ask!"
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Something Good Out of the Bad Stuff
John 9:1-3
Jesus passed by a man, blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The disciples are asking this question because it was taught that a person with a physical ailment from birth had parents or grandparents who had committed sins that caused the ailment.
Imagine, for a moment, the burden in that belief. When our children were born I remember waiting anxiously as they were checked to see if there were any physical problems that required medical attention. What relief we felt when they were declared healthy. The parents of the blind man wouldn't have known that relief. They would instead have a burden of guilt they carried, wondering what sin they had committed that resulted in the loss of thier baby's sight.
Jesus tells his disciples that, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
The man's blindness wasn't caused by his parents, or himself. I don't believe Jesus is saying they had never sinned because Romans 3:23 tells us, "... all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." What He is telling His disciples is this - their sin was not the cause of the blindness. And somehow, in that blindness, the work of God was going to be displayed in his life.
If we skip a few pages to John chapter 11 we read the story of Jesus' friend Lazarus, who becomes gravely ill. When Jesus received word of this illness, He responds, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Lazarus did die, and was placed in the tomb, but that wasn't the end. Jesus raised Lazarus up to live again, and many that were there and saw what Jesus did put thier faith in Him. The illness and death of Lazarus had a greater purpose. The work of God was about to be displayed in the blind man's life also.
There are times when trials come to our life as the consequences of our sinful actions. Sometimes, though, hard things happen for no apparent reason. We see from the Scripture we've looked at that these may be opportunities for the work of God to be displayed in our lives, and used to bring others to believe in Him.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Jesus passed by a man, blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The disciples are asking this question because it was taught that a person with a physical ailment from birth had parents or grandparents who had committed sins that caused the ailment.
Imagine, for a moment, the burden in that belief. When our children were born I remember waiting anxiously as they were checked to see if there were any physical problems that required medical attention. What relief we felt when they were declared healthy. The parents of the blind man wouldn't have known that relief. They would instead have a burden of guilt they carried, wondering what sin they had committed that resulted in the loss of thier baby's sight.
Jesus tells his disciples that, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
The man's blindness wasn't caused by his parents, or himself. I don't believe Jesus is saying they had never sinned because Romans 3:23 tells us, "... all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." What He is telling His disciples is this - their sin was not the cause of the blindness. And somehow, in that blindness, the work of God was going to be displayed in his life.
If we skip a few pages to John chapter 11 we read the story of Jesus' friend Lazarus, who becomes gravely ill. When Jesus received word of this illness, He responds, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Lazarus did die, and was placed in the tomb, but that wasn't the end. Jesus raised Lazarus up to live again, and many that were there and saw what Jesus did put thier faith in Him. The illness and death of Lazarus had a greater purpose. The work of God was about to be displayed in the blind man's life also.
There are times when trials come to our life as the consequences of our sinful actions. Sometimes, though, hard things happen for no apparent reason. We see from the Scripture we've looked at that these may be opportunities for the work of God to be displayed in our lives, and used to bring others to believe in Him.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
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