Jesus had boldly proclaimed His divinity and oneness with the Father. For this, the Jewish leaders wanted to stone Him to death. However, it was not yet Jesus’ time, and He and the disciples left the Temple. As they were leaving, they came across a man who was blind from birth. The disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
In ancient times, and even today, people who are afflicted with physical or mental disabilities from birth are often stigmatized. The belief that such disabilities are punishment for either individual or generational sin is a commonly held one in many societies. However, this belief is not only illogical, it is also heartless. The disciples’ question reflected their own self-righteousness; from their perspective, since they did not suffer as this blind man, that must mean that they are more righteous than him. The disciples not only failed to have empathy for the blind man, but they also failed to understand the nature and cause of sin, as well as God’s redemptive purposes in this man’s life. While the man they encountered was physically blind, the disciples were spiritually blind.
Note how Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question reflects a much different attitude. Instead of judgement, Jesus responds with level-headed compassion, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Sickness, suffering, and death are part of living in a fallen world corrupted by sin. Yet through Christ, as the divine Son of God and the great I AM, we have the hope of eternal life in Him and victory over this fallen world. Not only was Jesus going to heal this man from his physical blindness, but He was also going to teach the disciples about overcoming spiritual blindness.
Jesus’ method for healing the man would have seemed odd and counterintuitive. How does mud created from spit and dirt and smeared onto one’s eyes cure blindness? But the blind man simply responded with faith and obedience. After washing off the mud in the Pool of Siloam, the man was no longer blind! It would be easy to focus on the physical healing of the blind man. As wonderful and miraculous as this was, Jesus was also conveying a deeper spiritual truth. There was nothing magical about Jesus’ saliva, nor the dirt and mud, nor the Pool of Siloam. Rather, it was the man’s faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God that cured him of his blindness. When we accept Jesus as Lord and we acknowledge by faith all that He is as God, we see reality clearly. We see ourselves and others for who we really are – equal in our sin, but also equal in our need for the grace and redemption that only Christ can provide. We also see clearly the beauty of who Christ is and the wonder of His redemptive mission for all of Creation. And this clarity produces a boldness that cannot be contained, evident in the fact that the formerly blind man now testifies to everyone – including the Jewish leaders – that Jesus is from God.
It is no mere coincidence that this miracle took place right after Jesus declared in the Temple that He is God. The healing of the blind man divided many. There were those whose eyes were opened to the reality of who Christ is and accepted Him, while there were also those who persisted in their rejection of Him. When Christ opens our eyes and we see Him for who He truly is, may we not shut our eyes. Rather, may we embrace Him full and rest in the freedom and joy of being in His presence always.
Read the passage prayerfully a few times over and then answer the questions: John 9
Questions:
- What stand out to you about the healing of the blind man? (v.1-12)
- What does the response of the Pharisees to the blind man’s healing reveal about the state of their hearts? How does the blind man’s response to his own healing contrast with that of the Pharisees as well as the blind man’s parents? (v. 13-34)
- Jesus says to the Pharisees in verse 39, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” What do you think He means by this? (cf. Psalm 119:18, Acts 26:12-18, 1 Cor. 2:14, 2 Cor. 4:1-6, 1 John 2:1-11)
Application:
- Reflecting on your own faith journey, how have you experienced spiritual blindness and how has Christ helped you see truth and reality?
- Where in your life do you need to exercise faith in Christ’s redemptive and restorative power?
Conclusion & Heart Prayer:
Lord, what are You saying to me? And what are You calling me to do about it?
