Here’s a "fascinating list" that carried the intriguing title, "Great Truths About Life That Little Children Have Learned." I’ve printed this in the Newsletter, but, here are a few of these "great truths" again:
What do each of these statements have in common? It is that the children learned these "great truths" and came to these bold new insights after some dramatic eye-opening experience in their own personal lives.
Can't you just see a child trying to baptize a cat and leaning the hard way that this is just not a good thing to do. The point is clear: A dramatic personal eye-opening experience can give us new insight, new perception, new vision.
On a much deeper level and on a much more positive level, that's precisely what we discover in this amazing story in John 9. A man blind from birth has a dramatic eye-opening experience with Jesus. (Read John 9:1-12)
Talk about new vision and new insight. He is completely and totally healed. He is made whole and he comes back from the pool of Siloam with 20/20 vision able to see perfectly for the first time in his life.
His transformation is so complete and so dramatic that he even looks a little different. The townspeople see him and say: "Hey, isn't that the blind beggar? He can see now. Is that him? No, it's just someone who looks like him. Couldn't be him." But it was!
The entire chapter 9 is about this healing and the reactions of the people and the religious leaders to it. As wonderful as it was that the man was given his sight, the story is not about him. The real lesson is spiritual sight or spiritual blindness.
John 9:1 - 2 (NIV) 1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
One day as Jesus and His disciples are walking along together, they see a pitiful sight, a man who has been blind from birth. The disciples watch him groveling and begging there in the gutter.
I can imagine them standing there discussing the poor man. The Bible doesn’t say anything about them helping him in any way—giving him food or money, or easing his discomfort in some way.
This sightless man with dead eyes makes a sad, haunting picture. He crouches there and feels in the dirt for scraps of garbage. With his hands he wards off the trampling, heedless crowds, eating their dust and pleading for their help.
Finally, intrigued by the man's horrible plight, the disciples ask Jesus a hard theological question: Who sinned? Was it this man or his parents? Why was he born blind? Was it his fault? Or did his parents do something wrong to cause this?
There is an interesting theological point here. It’s something we still wrestle with today—why am I sick? Did I sin and I’m sick because of it?
In Jesus' time there was the mistaken notion that anyone down on their luck was in that fix because of sin in their lives—that it was God's judgment upon them for wrongdoings.
After all, they deserved their situation. Conversely, the wealthy and well were thought to be less sinful and blessed by God because of it.
So the blind, the lame, those with leprosy, or poor people were looked down upon by society, and were often shunned as wicked sinners.
The only uncertainty here was who was directly responsible? Someone had to be! Since he was born blind there were only two options as we see in the disciple’s question.
Either the man sinned while still in his mother’s womb, or his parents had committed the sin before his birth.
It’s ridiculous to think that the baby sinned in the womb, or that God, because of the parent’s sin, made the baby blind. The question they asked was a silly question. But it was widely believed.
Listen carefully—sin has produced suffering in the world. When Adam chose to sin by disobeying God, sin entered the world, and as a result, suffering came with it. The world was no longer a Garden of Eden.
Bt the Bible refuses to allow an individual’s suffering to always be attributed to his personal sin. Sometimes it may be, as when the suffering is the consequences of the sin.
For instance having an accident while driving drunk, or cirrhosis of the liver, or getting a sexually transmitted disease as the result of sexual promiscuity. Often times the consequences are felt for years after—by both the guilty and the innocent.
Yes, often there are consequences to our lifestyle choices. But it is a very simplistic view that because you are sick it’s punishment for sin in your life.
But many today buy into it. There’s a popular TV show where the main character, because of ‘karma’, must correct and undo past wrongs in his life. It’s a funny comedy.
But the notion of karma comes from Hinduism. It’s the idea that our immortal soul has to continually go on working out, in a whole series of lives, the consequences of our actions.
So if you do good you will be rewarded by a ‘higher’ life in the next reincarnation and if you do evil you will be punished by a ‘lower’ life. This kind of thinking is common in the New Age movement which also embraces the idea of multiple lives.
This man did not live a ‘bad’ previous life! He wasn’t going to come back in another life! The man was born blind! That’s was all there was to it.
There is no answer to the “why” of it. But the disciples wanted to investigate the cause of the man’s blindness—that’s what we humans do. We want to know. We believe there must be a reason why bad things happen to good people.
But John 3:16 does not read, “God so loved the world that He investigated man’s sins.” No, He gave His Son to remedy the world’s sin problem.
What was about to happen to the blind man was going to be a permanent revelation of God’s truth. Now we get to the point of the story.
John 9:3-4 (NIV) 3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
Many read this with the thought that God caused the man’s blindness for all those years simply so that at that very moment in time He could demonstrate His power by healing him.
That is not what Jesus said at all. If verse 4 wasn’t there that might be what it was saying. But verse 4 makes it very clear just how out of touch and incompatible with His teachings such ideas are.
He denied the apostle’s false assumptions. The man’s blindness was due to natural causes, not divine predestination. Jesus proclaimed that our responsibility is not to analyze the cause but to get busy now, while we have the opportunity.
Now hear me carefully on the authority of the Bible—the Bible fundamentally rejects the idea that sin makes you sick, or that you get another chance in another life.
Disease, accidents, and trials are part of life. Every person is subject to them. And every person is a distinct individual, made in God’s image, and is confronted in some way or another with the call to believe in Jesus Christ, just as the blind man’s opportunity to believe in Jesus was then.
Each person is responsible to God for his or her life, and each person will give account to God personally someday (Heb. 10:29f).
And the time is urgent because we have only this one life in which to work for God. There is no such thing as reincarnation. We are not going to be reincarnated and get a second chance.
Yes, the existence of human suffering in both good people and bad people was brought on by the entrance of sin into the world. But, beyond that, in the end, suffering defies all explanations.
Instead of sitting around asking “why do bad things happen to good people?” we should be doing the work of Jesus and showing them the way to Jesus.
Jesus, verse 4b, used the analogy of night coming on. Just as the shortness of daylight causes workers to work harder so they will not be overtaken by the darkness of night, so we should understand that only the short time of life is allotted to us to work for Jesus.
John 9:6 - 7 (NIV) 6Having said 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.
Jesus didn't see the blind beggar man as wicked. He saw him as a child of God, as a person of worth, and as a member of God's creation family. He loved him and embraced him and healed him.
So, here in John 9 Jesus takes the opportunity to minister to the blind man. Notice that the disciples don’t see a person of worth—they see a theological question. But when Jesus sees him, He sees a ministry opportunity.
The disciples wanted to debate; Jesus chooses to minister. The disciples want to expend their energy in talking. Jesus puts His energy into action.
The point is this: There are things in this life we do not and will not ever understand. So don’t stand around complaining about the unfairness of life. What pleases God is to do something about it.
Jesus proceeded to heal the man using a mudpack made from saliva. He spit on the ground and made clay of the spittle. He then anointed the man's eyes with the clay. Now, if that seems repulsive to you, don't let it be. Saliva has long been a folk remedy.
Ancient people believed strongly in its curative powers, and in a sense, we still do. At least, our children do. A child burns his finger and into his mouth it goes. Or a child scrapes her arm and wants mom to kiss it and make it well.
The Bible doesn’t explain why Jesus used this method for healing the man. In fact, we are not told why He used any means at all when a simple word from Him had been enough in previous acts of healing (cf. 4:50, 53).
In verse 6 it says that Jesus ‘put it on’ the man’s eyes. The Greek word for ‘put it on’ is anointed. Jesus “anointed” the man's eyes with the clay. That’s what the Greeks says. Jesus anointed the man’s eyes with the clay. It means to smear on or to put on. It comes from the Greek word ‘Christos’.
In the Old Testament new kings were anointed with oil or other precious things to show that they were the new king. And do you remember what the angel proclaimed to the shepherds at Christ’s birth?
Luke 2:11 (NIV) 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
The angel told the shepherds that Jesus was the Anointed One from God. Christ means Messiah, the Anointed One. Jesus is the forever Messiah, the anointed King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the One who came to serve rather than be served, He, Himself anointed the blind man’s eyes. Isn't that beautiful? He "Christs" the man's eyes! Now, let me ask you something. "Would you like to have your eyes Christed?"
After anointing the man's eyes with the clay, Jesus sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man went, washed away the clay, and came back seeing!
Again, the Bible doesn’t tell why the man had to wash his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. Perhaps in this instance the man, who had never seen even one sun rise, needed to be involved in the healing process by a simple act of obedience to Jesus.
We are here for a short life-time. Our opportunities for ministry and growing God’s family are only in this life-time. As you minister in Jesus’ name, just like this blind man, others will see Jesus, and some will believe in Him. When questioned by the Pharisees, the man replied, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25)
The Amazing Aftermath: John 9:8 - 9 (NIV) 8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
The neighbors were amazed. They’re not even sure he’s the same man. They can't believe it. They ask him how this happened and all he can say (since he’s never seen Jesus) is the man called Jesus healed me. He gave me my sight.
John 9:10 - 12 (NIV) 10“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. 11He 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 man knew about Jesus, he knew that Jesus healed him, but he didn’t know anything more. The man was interrogated by his neighbors and treated badly by the Pharisees.
John 9:35 (NIV) 35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
And the man answered, John 9:38 (NIV) 38“Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Until then the man believed about Jesus. Now he believed in Jesus. First he received physical sight, now he has spiritual sight. Jesus opened the eyes of his soul.
You can believe everything the Bible says about Jesus, even believe that He is the source of your blessings, and still be lost. To be saved you must believe in Him as your personal Savior.
The Pharisees, the watchdogs of religion, get wind of this and they are not happy. They are upset about the whole thing, because, for one thing they are suspicious of everything Jesus does.
On top of that, it happened on the Sabbath Day. This was a blatant violation of their rigid rules. "He made clay. He healed on the Sabbath. That was strictly forbidden. We can't have that!”
So, they come out with the fervor of Barney Fife to investigate. They interrogate the healed man's parents and scare them out of their wits. Then they interrogate the man who has been healed. He gives them a classic and powerful response that has resounded across the centuries.
He says: "This one thing I know. Once I was blind, but now I see." You see, this man (like most people) is a pragmatist. Look at what he is saying to their "hard-line" questioning! "I don't know about all of that. I don't know about rules or regulations or restrictions.
But I do know results when I see them. This one thing I do know. Once I was blind, but now I see." The Pharisees are defeated by this argument and they know it. So they do what people often do when they feel insecure or have no moral power.
They turn to force. They kick him out. They cast him out of the synagogue. They excommunicate him. They push him out.
Now, this sets the stage for one of the most beautiful moments in all of scripture. Jesus hears about it. He hears that they have cast him out and Jesus comes to find him.
Aware of his trouble, Jesus comes to him. Jesus comes to help. That's the good news, isn't it? iI's when we are in trouble Jesus comes to help! And when they come face to face Jesus says to him:
"Do you believe in me, the Son of God?" And the healed man says: "Yes, Lord, I believe". Then the man worships Him!
Isn't this a great story? It's so packed with the stuff of life. There is so much here. Blindness and sight, sickness and healing, prejudice and love, fear and faith, rejection and acceptance, defeat and victory.
But, there is one question that explodes out of this gospel story and addresses itself directly and personally to you and me. Namely this: Have your eyes been Christ-ed?
Can you see with the vision of our Lord? Have your eyes been anointed with the spirit of Christ?
1. When your eyes have been "Christ-ed," it changes the way you see yourself.
2. When your eyes have been "Christ-ed," it changes the way you see other people.
3. Finally, when your eyes have been “Christ-ed,” it changes the way you see God.