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Hear the devotional: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eradio-valverde/episodes/I-Was-Blind--But-Now-I-See-e20ag8c
See the devotional: https://www.tiktok.com/@eradiovalverde/video/7209893624778116395?lang=en
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying 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. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He 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. 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see. 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (John 9:1-11 New International Version Bible)
When Nellie and I were courting (kids, ask your parents what that means), we had no smart phones. The only phone we had either hung on a wall or sat on a table. So, there were no texts to be sent or read. Computers at the time were so large that huge rooms had to house the CPU* (Parents ask your kids). But there was a thing called letters. And though she and I lived only eight miles apart, we wrote letters to each other. Yes, there are kids in the room, and they may think it was corny, but I lived for getting mail from her. Each letter was special and I enjoyed each word; in fact, the longer the letter the better. I read and re-read each letter. Not once did I ever say, "Babe, these letters are too long, please don't ever write such long letters! Yet, we sometimes think when a passage for the week seems a bit long we do think along those line, "God, why is this passage so long?" This is week two of what we may consider extra long passages, but boy are they powerful!
Jesus encounters a man who was born blind. This caused the disciples to ask Jesus, in keeping with the understanding among people that a person's physical condition was caused by the parent's sinfulness. "Rabbi, who sinner, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus probably could have chuckled, but He answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." And here Jesus makes a declaration, "I am the light of the world." Jesus' declaration comes after He says that while He was in the world the works of God had to be done. Jesus also warned that the time was coming when no one would be able to work." And then He did something that still grosses some people out, He spat on the ground and with the dirt made mud and put this mud on the blind man's eyes and orders him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man obeys and washed and came back with eyes that could now see. This miracle one would think, would bring great rejoicing and praising of God, for what was impossible to even believe has come to be true. Yet, first people doubted and asked, "Is this really the man who was born blind?" Some said, "No, it looks like him, but can't be!" Then more questions, "How then were your eyes opened?" The man can only say, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash and I did, now I can see."
Then the Pharisees appear. As usual. They ordered the man to appear before them. They were involved because the day of this healing was a Sabbath. They also ask how did this healing take place? Again, the man repeats, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees already had their opinion, "This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath," and others, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" Now the Pharisees are divided. They asked the man again, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man says, "He is a prophet." The Pharisees could not believe that the man had indeed been blind and so they send for his parents. "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind; how is it that now he can see?" The parents said, We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." The parents said this because they were afraid of the Pharisees. They did not have a good reputation in matters such as these. It didn't help the Pharisees had already said that anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue; which would have motivated most parents to say, "He is of age; ask him." Another time the Pharisees say to the man who had received his sight, "Give glory to God by telling the truth, we know this man is a sinner." And the man gives one of the most awesome answers in the Bible. "Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" They continued to ask, "What did he do to you? How did He opened your eyes?" The man, obviously frustrated says,"I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again. Do you want to become His disciples too?" Then they insulted him and accused him of being a disciple of Jesus, while they were disciples of Moses. Then they continued with their declarations about their devotion to Moses, and how they did not even know where Jesus came from, to which the man could not help but say, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His weill. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." They are insulted by this and say, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
Upon hearing that the man was thrown out, Jesus goes to visit him. Jesus asked, him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is He, sir?" answered the man. "Tell me so that I may believe in Him." Jesus said, "You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you." "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Jesus. Jesus declares, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Of course, there were Pharisees there who asked, "WHat? Are we blind too? Jesus answers, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." BAM.
Jesus came to save the world. Jesus came to bring wholeness to the world. Jesus came to show the power and the love behind the law of Moses. The law had become only a list of do's and don'ts and the religious people of His day only knew to enforce the law in their way. They did a great job in alienating people from God. it was precisely for the great need that God acted on our behalf. Jesus last week declared He is the living water, and today's passage has Jesus showing that He is the light of the world. His declaration is that in Him we can see the truth about life. Jesus healed a man without asking him if he was a member of the temple or not. He wasn't asked about his heritage, who his parents were, or any of the questions many would want to ask; Jesus loved him enough to heal him. Imagine the wonderful impact of this miracle. This was a man who never saw a thing until he met Jesus. He never saw his parents or siblings or his surroundings. He lived in a complete world of darkness. Until that day. He was probably just sitting by the side of the road begging for money with which to live and he received a gift he did not ask for, nor would he ever thought to ask for; his sight. Many are those who when Jesus enters their lives have their eyes and lives opened and they began to see the world with new eyes. It's an amazing world best seen with the love and conmpassion shared by Jesus with those who ask.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless our lives with new eyes and the vision only You can share. Guide us to becoming truly the people You have called us to be. May we win the world with the love of Christ; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask for the eyes and mind of Christ to live a life that blesses others!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
