Mud and Miracles
Read the Text: John 9
Memorize the Text: Jesus spoke to them again, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Consider the Text: John 9
John 9 opens with Jesus departing the temple and encountering a man struck by blindness since birth. As Jesus approached the blind man, his disciples concerned themselves with the righteousness or unrighteousness of the man because of his ailment. This concern brought the question concerning who sinned and caused this blindness, the man or his parents? Ultimately, Jesus worked in a powerful manner and brought healing to the situation. The miracle caused various people around the man to respond in different manners. These responses should challenge us to consider the responses we have to the working of the Lord.
The neighbors of the blind man saw nothing but a NOVELTY. In John 9:8-13, the neighbors responded to the miracle by remaining stuck with focusing on who the man used to be. They had known the man from birth and could not comprehend the working of the Lord. They focused on the man’s past instead of the man’s present and the working of the Lord. The neighbors wanted affirmation of what occurred from the religious leaders and could not perceive the truth with their own ability.
When we are not cautious, we can become like the neighbors. We see the working of the Lord and stand in awe of his work. Yet, we become focused on the past of individuals and struggle to see how God has made them new in redemption. We want a form of religious approval that helps us accept the new condition of the person. Thus, we turn to the Pharisees of our day the way the neighbors did in the first century.
The Pharisees saw nothing but a TECHNICALITY. In John 9:14-17, the religious leaders attempted to dismiss the work of Jesus on a fleshly, religious technicality. They searched for a problem in Jesus’ work that would allow them to mark it as void and wrong. They wanted to place parameters on what God could do and thus they sought the law for their argument. They allowed tradition and methodology to dominate the miracle that the Lord did.
When we follow the pattern of the Pharisees, we lessen the work of the Lord by attempting to define him on our terms. We want him to fit our box of who he is and what he is allowed to do. We center our focus on the ability to understand instead of rejoicing in the healing touch of Jesus. Like the Pharisees, we can become legalistic which can lead us to become overly concerned about what acceptance will cost us like the parents of the blind man.
The parents of the blind man saw a SOCIAL DIFFICULTY. In John 9:18-23, the blind man’s parents refused to support their son. They viewed the acceptance of the miracle as a costly move. They were concerned that such an acceptance might cost their acceptance in the temple and as a result cause them to become social outcasts. Thus, the blindness of personal pride kept them from rejoicing in and receiving their son’s healing. The influence of the society outweighed their allowance of the Lord to work.
When we desire acceptance by the culture, we can reject the work of the Lord. We elevate our deep social desires above the truth of who God is and what God does. We abandon the leading of the Lord readily at the altar of social acceptance because the cost of following Jesus becomes a cost we refuse to accept and pay. Thus, we become a product of our desire instead of being like the healed man who saw Jesus alone.
The blind man saw JESUS. In John 9:35-41, the healed blind man demonstrated obedience to the command of Christ. He trusted in the calling and commands of the Lord and followed each step of the process to healing. The obedience outweighed any verbal obedience because faithful living reflected complete trust. This understanding became fully understood as man declared the working of Christ. He did not concern himself with who he once was, the religious technicality, or the thoughts of society, he just wanted to declare and worship Jesus.
The miracle in John 9 challenges us to evaluate our lives. We need to assess if we respond to the Lord like the neighbors, Pharisees, or the parents. Do the worldly forces around us hold more weight to our true obedience to the Lord? We must truly seek to be like the healed blind man who did not concern himself with the influences of the world, but simply followed Jesus.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
