Today’s Reading:
John 9: 1-12
The opening verse of our study tells us that Jesus was walking by and saw a man who had been blind from birth (v.1)
It appears that Jesus did not stop because the blind man asked him to heal him. It appears that it was Jesus’ decision to stop. It was an opportunity to show mercy, to teach an important truth and to demonstrate the power of God. The disciples of Jesus thought the man’s blindness was a consequence of some great sin committed by the man or his parents. They asked Jesus: “Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”. (v. 2). Jesus’ answer was a surprise to the disciples. Jesus said: “It was neither that this man sinned nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (v. 3). Having said this, He spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” Jesus told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. The man went and washed in Siloam Pool and came home seeing.
Sometimes we are sick due to our own personal sin. In John 5:14, Jesus warned a man not to sin so that he would not be sick again. Another such example was Miriam – the sister of Moses who was afflicted with leprosy because she had sinned by challenging Moses’ authority (Numbers 12:1-10). Also, God allowed Satan to afflict Job with illness in order to test Job’s faithfulness and love for God. God makes it clear to us twice in the first two chapters of Job that Job had not sinned. Therefore, God has many purposes for allowing any person to be sick. Jesus said the man was blind from birth so that the works of God could be revealed to mankind. Jesus will repeat this message again in John 11:4 when He explains that Lazarus was allowed to die for the glory of God. In the case of this blind man, Jesus was going to heal the man and consequently glorify God. In John 9:4-5, Jesus revealed that He came to do the works assigned to Him by the Father. The healing of the blind man was part of the works that the Father had planned for Christ to do from the beginning of time.
One would think that those who had known the blind man would have been thrilled that he could see now. But we are told that the people could not believe he had been healed or did not believe he was the same person (vv. 8-9). Not everyone believed the blind man even though he told them that he was the man who had been blind but now seeing. Why was there so much disagreement about the healing of the blind man? The answer is that they knew he was once blind, but now he could see. But they could not believe it because they are spiritually blind. They could not believe that a man who was blind from birth could see. So, they asked the scientific questions: How did this happen? How were your eyes opened? (vv. 10-12). Today, people do the same thing. “ Oh, God did not heal you. It was the medical team that performed that successful high-risk operation.”
In conclusion, we must note that Jesus selected the blind man. The blind man did not select Jesus. If you find it difficult to agree with this opinion, please read Jesus words in John 6:37, 44 and 65 . In these passages, Jesus makes it clear to us that the Father decides who comes to Christ. He selects and draws us by the Holy Spirit. The blind man also demonstrated that he genuinely believed in Christ when he obeyed Him by going (as directed by Jesus) to wash in the pool of Siloam (vv. 6-7).
BABALOLA IKOTUN
Prayers:
Heavenly Father, select me for the exhibition and demonstration of your glory, in Jesus name.
Father, open my spiritual eyes to recognize your divine moves in my life, in Jesus name.
Father Lord, grant me a heart free of unbelief that I may praise you in truth and in spirit, in Jesus name.
Father, help me to see things that I hope and pray for by faith, in Jesus name.
Father, in your mercy, forgive every sin causing disunity and powerlessness in the body of Christ, in Jesus name.
O Lord, save our land from destruction and judgement, in Jesus name.
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