“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
John 9:1-9 NLT
I wonder if the man knew that Jesus made mud with his spit if that would’ve changed anything. Naaman the leper in 2 Kings 5 wanted Elisha to wave his hand and perform magic or at least send him to wash in the clean rivers of Damascus instead of the dirty Jordan river. Isn’t it amazing how we want to dictate how we get delivered? The same is true of those who want to choose their own path to God. Jesus chose to use the very thing from which he was made to bring him his sight. DIRT.
The beauty of this account is that the excitement of the healed and the discourse of the Pharisees makes this story even more interesting. You must read the entire chapter. What does it matter when or how he was healed? He is! No one had been able to help this man. I love his exuberant responses to all the questioners. Here’s my favorite; “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 😂
John 9:25-27 NLT
After his healing he went home to some pretty astonished people. They were asking questions like “ isn’t he the guy who was always begging?” Some said he was, others said it looks like him, but he spoke up. “Hey y’all, it’s me! Seeing makes me look different, I even came off government assistance.” No, he didn’t say that lol. But if you used to beg and now you’re not, it’s possible. Some people get delivered and still act like nothing happened. No changes at all. He could’ve excused himself and remained a beggar, after all forty plus years of his life had passed him by. Woe is me😢
But that wasn’t the approach he took. He had to recognize his own deliverance, even if others did not. So it is with us. Your old hanging buddies may still want to hang with the old you, but you must unashamedly speak up, “it’s me, seeing me. No longer blind. How did it happen? Some guy they call Jesus made some mud (he didn’t know about the spit -he was blind) put it on my eyes. Told me go wash. So I went and wallah!” He had his first testimony service. I visited a church on Sunday, where the Pastor pointed out three areas that best describe our witness for Christ. This man exemplified them all. Our witness must be, visual, verbal and vibrant. Wouldn’t you agree that this blind man who remains nameless, characterized them all?
He got kicked out of church for getting healed! He had no idea who did it because he went still blind, with mud-spit plastered over his eyes, with a simple instruction; “go wash.” His obedience to detail won the day. Sabbath worshippers stuck on which day of the week miracles should be performed missed their opportunity to have the veil removed from their hearts so they could see. Don’t let religion keep you bound and blind. Everyday is the sabbath. Everyday is the right day for your miracle. Let them put you out of their buildings. It will be worth it. Here’s what followed his expulsion:
“You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? ” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”
John 9:34-39 NLT
Are you catching this? I hope you did as I asked and read the whole chapter. They-the religious folks-were so stuck in tradition that they refused to accept what had been done for this man born blind. But by thrusting him out they set him on the path to true freedom. He met the Master and was made whole, spirit, soul and body. I’ll take those results any time. As long as you know what Jesus has done for you, no one, I repeat, NO ONE- Can steal your testimony and your joy. In these last days, be prepared to be put out for standing up for righteousness. Be prepared to be labeled everything but a child of God. I don’t need to prophesy, it’s a sure thing. Every child of God will, no, must, face at some point persecution for standing up for Jesus.
Jesus said these words: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted Me , naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to Me , they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of Me, for they have rejected the One who sent Me.”
John 15:18-21 NLT
This man got healed and ostracized on the same day, but nowhere do we read that he said he’d rather be blind. He became a bold witness for Christ. May the Lord find us faithful to the end. No matter the cost. Once we were blind, but now we see. We didn’t have our eyes smeared with spit and dirt, but with the precious blood of Jesus. Stand up and be counted as those refusing to bow to political correctness and the woke generation. Our spiritual eyes have been opened so that these words spoken by Jesus to His questioning disciples may be manifested in us. Our spiritual eyes have been opened for one purpose only: So the power of God could be seen in us.
“This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.”
John 9:4 NLT
It’s Time To Pray🙏
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant