Open My Eyes That I May See

John 9:1-23

Jesus Heals

A Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along; he saw a man who was blind from birth. This man was a beggar.

“Rabbi,” Jesus' disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or his parents’ sins?”

 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “But this happened so the works of God might be made manifested in him. We must quickly carry out the works of Him who sent us, while it is day. 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.”

The disciples regarded the man’s congenital blindness as caused by sin, either his own or his parents’ sins. However, Jesus disagreed with this common belief. Jesus shifted the talking about suffering into gazing life itself. Jesus used this man’s suffering to teach about faith, about seeing the works of God and glorify God.

Jesus’ method of healing was a unique one: He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and then spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. Jesus’ act alluded to God the creator who first used dust to shape the human body (Genesis 2:7).

And Jesus said to the blind man, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). The blind man heard Jesus' command and did as Jesus instructed. So, he went and washed and came back seeing!

The Blind Man: Seeing, Believing and Worshiping Jesus

Jesus was sent by the Father to minister God’s works on the earth. He was the light of the world and the living water. He sent the blind man to Siloam. The man responded by faith and went. He washed his eyes with the water of Siloam and he received his sight.

However, the greatest miracle was not the opening of his eyes but the opening of his heart to the Saviour. He manifested a growing understanding and faith in Jesus, and finally gave Jesus the reverence due only to God. How do we know that?

His neighbours and others who knew him asked him, “Who healed you? What happened?”

He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So, I went and washed, and now I can see!”

At this point, the man had been healed but he had not been saved. He had not seen Jesus but he had heard Jesus' voice. 

Since the Pharisees were religious leaders, it was right that the healed man be brought to them for investigation. The Pharisees questioned the man and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

Jesus later found the man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? You have seen him, and he is speaking to you!”

Some manuscripts read the Son of God. It signifies Jesus’ identify as both human and the Messiah (Dan 7:13-14).

 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

The healed man believed in Jesus, worshiped Him as God and was saved. He was not afraid of the Jews persecuting him, even to the extent of chasing him out of the synagogue. This would mean that he was cut-off from friends and family and be looked on by the Jews as a sinner.

Such miraculous healing of his blindness and the boldness in his heart to testify for Jesus echoed Jesus’ words: “This happened so that the works of God could be seen in him”.

The man was born blind. He had never seen the beauty of God’s creation or the faces of his loved ones. Like this man, we are also vulnerable to all kinds of sufferings, absurdities and uncertainties in life. We live in a fallen world where good behaviour is not always rewarded and bad behaviour not always punished. But all these are not the determining factors that make our lives a disastrous failure.

Jesus performs God’s works of redemption and healing in our lives. When Jesus encountered the blind man, everything was changed, and the man was made to see, speak out and believe. We also could journey on a new chapter of life after meeting our Lord Jesus, just as the blind man had experienced.

Today, keep trusting Jesus in every area of life, and respond to His call, “go to Siloam”. This means to embark on the mission that you are sent for. You will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). You will see God’s wonderful works in life and be able to experience love, joy and peace in life.

However, we also know that some people do not see God’s works happening even when the Light shines on them. They remain in darkness, swallowed by bitterness, insecurity and dissatisfaction. How could it be?

The Neighbours: The Sceptic and Indifferent

The man’s neighbours 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!”

The neighbours had seen the man begging regularly. However, they were sceptical about the identity of the man and hence the work of God. Why?

Maybe they had not noticed him. They knew he was blind, and gave him alms, but they did not squat down to take a good look at him, or talk with him. They became accustomed to everything, and hence indifferent and sceptical to everything.

"Take for granted, indifferent, wouldn’t care less, self-centred, sceptical and doubtful”; are attitudes that make people fail to appreciate the things happening around them. As a result, they couldn’t see the works of God. They have become blind spiritually.

God has done great works in our midst. God’s people have been the light and salt but many people are just not able to see. They live a routine, busy and self-centred life. Their hearts are so hardened and negative to be touched, moved, or changed. There is no joy, no purpose, and no direction in their lives.

The Pharisees: Blind Believers

Then they took the man to the Pharisees because the incident that Jesus made the mud and healed the man, happened on the Sabbath. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So, he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So, there was a deep division of opinion among them.

The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and now could see. So, they called in the man's parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

Then for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

Then they cursed him and threw him out of the synagogue. Persecution may come when you follow Jesus. You may lose friends; you may lose your life. But no one can ever take away the eternal life that Jesus gives you.

The Pharisees were only concerned about law and tradition, and keeping their status and authority above God's revelation and works. It was illegal to work on the Sabbath, and by making the mud, applying the mud on the man, and healing him, this constituted to the performing of three unlawful ‘works’. So, they readily condemned Jesus’ healing as unlawful and resolved that he must be a false prophet.

They summoned the blind man and his parents, and harassed them so that they could deny that Jesus was from God and that he had healed him. The Pharisees were merciless. They should have been praising God for a miracle taken place, but they  did not open up their hearts. They became unteachable. They loved power and status without longing for righteousness. They envied Jesus, who could perform miracles and His popularity on the people. As a result, they could not see the miracle.

The Pharisees did not realize that Jesus was offering the people the genuine Sabbath – the true spiritual rest that comes from God. They became spiritually blind, unable to see God’s works. They experienced no joy and satisfaction even though Jesus had indeed performed wonderful works of God in their midst.

And Jesus condemned the Pharisees:” If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty, but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

Today what fills your heart?

Let’s get rid of excessive defence mechanisms, prejudices, jealousy and complacency with old way of doing things. Open up our hearts to appreciate the new things of the Lord, and accept others for who they are. Be less judgmental but more embracive to others. Then we will be able to see God’s works in our midst.

The Parents: Silent Believers

The Jewish leaders asked the man’s parents, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.  They did not rejoice; neither were they grateful to God for their son who could now see. They regarded their son’s healing as a matter of giving them trouble, and they wanted to "to draw a line" between them and their son.

They were fearful of being excommunicated from the synagogue if they too had affirmed Jesus’ healing. They chose to stay on the side-line as the “silent majority”. They did not speak up for justice because they were defensive and fearful of the people. They did not have the courage and a clear conscience to witness the truth. As a result, at this moment of miraculous healing work, they experienced no joy and peace.

Conclusion

The man born blind had received his sight, but to the others - "the neighbours, the Pharisees and the parents" had become blind!

Today, let’s take heed of Jesus' command, to go to our ‘Siloam’, so that we could receive our sight. Come to see Jesus face to face, know Him intimately and worship Him as Lord and Saviour.

Let’s also hearken to those who suffered, and understand their plight, show empathy to them. Let’s cast away fear, jealousy, bitterness, indifference and excessive defensive mechanisms, and open ourselves to the new ways of doing things; go all out to uphold the truth; appreciate every good work and good people around us. With this attitude above, we will see the wonder of God’s works in our midst.

“Seeing the works of God” will make us experience the love, the joy, and peace, and stay resilient and purposeful in our life even amidst the life condition of “darkness”—confusions, misunderstandings, disillusions, sufferings, grief, chaos and threats.