Good day dear friends.
We continue with John 9 and the theme "I Was Blind But Now I See."
We take up the study of this important chapter of John with verse 8:
8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, "Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus F80 to be the Messiah F81 would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.
Nothing like a good ole miracle to stir the neighborhood. A miracle, by the way, is something you can't explain for it defies all known explanation. It fits into the category of supernatural for it goes beyond natural explanation. You could have had your own miracle or have seen a family member or friend experience one and all you can really do is shake your head and thank God. In the churches I've served, some gave up drinking and that for their spouses was a miracle. Some may have even quit running around on their spouses, and that was a miracle. Some may have stopped the abuse of their spouse and/or family. Some have had all three, and that was a miracle. I've even had people visit the church after such experiences just to see Who or what could do such things. In this case of John 9, a man born blind, who more than likely sat on the street to beg, now can see, and leave it to his neighbors to be the ones to begin the "buzz;" to use The Message's version of this verse. When a mriacle occurs you have to tell somebody. It may be part of our I can't believe something like this has happened and telling someone makes it possible to have someone confirm that for us. And that's precisely what happened in this neighborhood. Some asked, "Is this the same man?" Some said yes, others said no, that is only looks like him. And that's a great explanation for miracles; someone switched our boy!
Yet they all asked him, how did this happen? The man could only share what he knew; This man named Jesus made a little mud and put it on my eyes, he told me to wash and I did and now I can see! They asked then, where is he? The man can only answer, I do not know.
The Jewish tradition is that once a person was healed; he should be brought to the rabbi and have this healing declared. The intention was to involve the whole community of faith and to have it be a part of their celebration of what God can do. Sadly, it became a power the rabbis cherished, for they could either declare it a true healing from God or something unexplained and even not of God. The latter happens here. First, the day of this healing upset them. To make a paste was, as Pastor Leslie pointed out Sunday, considered to be like kneading and so labeled as work. The idea of no work on a Sabbath had been well defined through the ages and by Jesus' day the crossing of a "t" or dotting of an "i," was considered work. This that Jesus did was a lot of work in their eyes. And they even went so far as to say this man who did this has to be a sinner.
The once-blind man was questioned. He, after all, knew or should know about this Jesus who had done this. The man angers the religious for his answer was that Jesus had to be a prophet. How could someone more holy than us be around these parts? is the question they probably asked. Worse, some may have thought for this man to have claimed he was once blind and now is declaring Jesus a prophet is probably mentally ill, call his parents. The parents come and the parents knew the rabbis and their power and their declaration that anyone who claimed Jesus was the messiah would be thrown out of the synagogue; so they give the classic, "He's of age, ask him!" Again, the man can only say what he knew. "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." This they could not accept and further questioned him and by now the man is tired and asks, "Why are you asking so much? Do you want to be his disciples as well?" The result was this man, made whole by God's Son, is now thrown out of the synagogue. The man who wanted a place to worship, to celebrate his new life now in the fullness of God's love, is thrown out on the street.
What do you have to celebrate in your life that has come from God as a complete and unexpected blessing? Have you chosen to tell the neighbors and get them buzzing about what God can do? Have you gone to your church to share those good news about what God has done in your life? Or are you angry with God about something and haven't shared it with any, keeping this your little secret?
Have you asked God for God to perform a miracle in your life? What is it that you need? Go ahead and ask. Then share the good news!
PRAYER: Come holy One and touch my life with the miracle I need. You have known my need for some time and I ask now, in Jesus' name, for that to be the blessing I need. Once I receive it let me tell my family, my neighbors, and my church; for Yours is the glory for all you have already done and all that You will do! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a blessed day!
e.v.
