Man Born Blind

Jesus said, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”. John 9:3

Jesus’ healing of a man born blind in John 9 is another interesting character study. We know why Jesus did miracles like this, to prove He was God’s Son and glorify the Father, but have you thought about the life of this man before and after his encounter with Jesus.

I like to ponder stories like this because it helps me contemplate deeper God’s overall plan. Put yourself in this man’s shoes. You were born blind. You have never been able to see anything; total darkness. You have to beg from others to even feed yourself. At the time of the healing you are an adult. (We know this because in verse 21 his parents said, “Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself”.) Suddenly your life changes; you can see!

The progression of the story is full of interesting questions and opportunities for us to ponder.

John 9:1-2 –

As He (Jesus) went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The disciples believed for something this tragic to happen it must have been caused by sin. The Jewish community all assumed that. That means the blind man’s whole life to this point was one of rejection. People would see him as a sinner inflicted by God; someone to be shunned. I imagine he had a very lonely life for many years. Remember Jesus said he led this life “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”. He led a life of darkness and poverty so that, after many years of living like that, God would be glorified. Ponder on that thought for a minute. I believe some people would say a loving God would not do that. Scripture says otherwise. It is a foundation shaker. It does not allow God to be kept in the “box” of our own understanding. His ways are greater than our ways.

Then Jesus does a very strange thing, at least in my mind. Especially strange to people in our culture today that are so conscious of germs and disease.

John 9:6-7

“Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. Go, He told him, wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

Let’s get back in the blind man’s shoes. There is no recorded conversation between Jesus and the man, but I assume Jesus had said something to the man before He put the mud on his eyes. When questioned later the man said it was Jesus that healed him. He probably knew of Jesus reputation as a healer. However here he is blind and not even able to see what is going on. Then this gentle man that he does not even know spits on the ground, makes mud and puts it on his eyes.

This is one of the moments in scripture that helps me see God’s preparation of an individual prior to him being thrust into the forefront of God’s plan. How many people would allow a stranger to put mud on their eyes made from saliva? I am not sure that would ever happen without the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the situation.

The end of verse 7 amazes me. “So the man went and washed, and came home seeing”. Remember he is blind, but he still had the faith to follow Jesus’ directions. He had to find his way to the pool. He may or may not have had help. However he certainly was filled with the hope only faith can give you. He does as instructed and “came home seeing”. Amazing miraculous healing!

After the healing, people that knew him were confused. Some said it was him; others said he just looked like him. They noticed the change and asked him, “Who opened your eyes?” The former blind man had no problem sharing his testimony; Jesus healed him.

Back in his shoes, he can now see all the things he has never been able to see; people, buildings, trees, etc. Color everywhere when previously he could only see darkness. However, he knows that he has not yet seen the person that was his healer, Jesus.

In John 9:13 the Pharisees come into the picture. We are allowed to see the difference between people God has enabled to “see” the truth, the former blind man, and those that cannot “see” the truth, the unbelieving, self-righteous Pharisees. 9:13-34 is an amazing story of the total faith of the former blind man and the fear of change and the unbelief of the Pharisees and the man’s parents. Even in the presents of this amazing miracle, they could not let go of their disbelief. They had not been given “eyes to see”.

Jesus summarizes the teaching in verse 39, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind”.

The story in scripture ends here, but the former blind man lived on. I often wonder what happened to people like him that are thrust into the “front line action” of the Kingdom. He probably was no longer a beggar because he was able-bodied, but what did he do to support himself? His former blindness had not allowed him to acquire any skills over time. Also I wonder how the people around him would feel; uneasy or scared? Would anyone hire him?

This story has always touched me personally because of my infirmity. Having had polio at five and with a result of a withered arm, I have wondered many times what would happen to me if God decided to heal my arm. Everyone I know has never seen me with a normal right arm. Even my sisters and brothers were so young, or nor born yet, when I got sick that they have no recollection of me with two normal arms.

When I asked my wife, Lin, how she thought people would react to me, she said unless they were standing there when the healing occurred they would think I was someone who looked like me, but not really me. She even said she would have a hard time believing. She said my kids and friends would really struggle; would I be rejected them? Would I be rejected by the business people I know because the change in my arm scared them? Would my ability to support my family be drastically affected? Even if they did believe, would I ever be seen as normal to my “believing” friends? It is a thought that scares me when I ponder on it and yet I believe God would give me whatever I need to complete His plan. My personal fear and concern would be calmed if I let God guide me through the rest of my part in His plan.

Think deeply about it. Would I be scary to you? Would it challenge the way you think about God? I believe these are the things the former blind man went through after healing. No matter what else happened around him, those that knew him, believers and non-believers, could not deny God healed him. The rest of his life was a continuation of what Jesus said about him, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”.

So the question we are left with is after we have been given “eyes to see” does the rest of our life display the work of God? After all, the conversion from a non-believer to a believer is a greater “healing” than any physical healing that has ever taken place. Is our life so noticeably different that those around us cannot deny there has been a change? Even if they reject God, can they deny His work displayed in our lives?

Lord, helps us understand what that means to each of us individually. May we have simple faith like the former blind man that will allow our conversion to faith in You be a testimony that says, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his (our) life”.