A Blind Man See”s The Light

A Blind Man Sees the Light. John 9:1-16

Our site is a beautiful Gift from God. How wonderful it is when springtime arrives, with gorgeous colors blooming everywhere and beautiful birds and butterflies. It is tragic for someone never to see the light of day. Yet, there is something much worse than physical blindness.

In this passage, Jesus meets a man who was blind from birth. This man illustrates that most people who are blind see things clearly, while those who have sight can see nothing at all.

Prayer:

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind since birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

People in those days believed that if a person was born with some affliction, it was because of sin in their life or their parent’s life. This shows that the teachings of the Jewish leaders over the years had been embedded in the minds of all the Jewish people. This is the thinking of the religious leaders. It was like common knowledge among the people. Not that it was true, but it was accepted as true, but it was not true. There may be people who sin and cause diseases and affliction to come on themselves and others, or sin by causing injury and affliction to someone or environmental contamination such as poisons released in the atmosphere.  Before Sin came into the world, evil and affliction were not in the world. The Disciples wanted Jesus to comment on the debate, but Jesus changed the focus from the cause of the man’s blindness to the purpose. So that God’s work can manifest and reveal something about Himself and His Purposes on earth. Jesus is being led by His Father to provide a sign that He is the Light of the world. He continues revealing God’s Glory, Mercy, and Grace in this sign. The ultimate truth about Jesus’ works is that The Father living in Him is doing His works.

3. Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be manifest in him. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. 5. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Jesus’s words touch on the theme of suffering. In every aspect of our lives, suffering is an occasion for the manifestation of God’s glory and purposes. Scripture describes four types of suffering,

1. The suffering that proves or tests our Faith.
2. Suffering meant for our improvement, our edification.
3. Suffering is meant as punishment for sin.
4. The suffering that shows forth God’s Glory, as in this story. And the raising of Lazarus.
5. Suffering for bearing witness to Christ.

If our suffering is not a direct punishment for Sin., then it is something God allows to happen in our lives, usually for reasons beyond our knowing, which can help us die to self and find our true life in God. God will not let anything happen to us that won’t bring Him Glory.

1. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and 7. said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way, therefore, and washed and came seeing. Amen. This man lived all His life in blindness, was born blind, and God had mercy on Him and opened His Eyes to the praise of His glorious grace, Amen.8.

The neighbors, therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said this is he; others said, He is like him, but he said, I am he. Therefore, said they unto him, how were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight—then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

John said in John 1:4,5. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. Right away, rather than giving God the Glory, they were quick to say to themselves and one another that something not right is happening here. These people who took the man who was formally blind to the authorities,

13. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. It was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then again, the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore, some Pharisees said this man was not of God because he did not keep the sabbath day. Others said, how can a man who is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, what sayest thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes? He said He is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind,

Now, the neighbors bring the man to the Pharisees, presumably because something unusual had occurred, and they were the experts on anything concerning God. So they question the former blind man. The subject of Jesus breaking the sabbath law came up instead of glorifying God and believing what they saw with their own eyes. So, they asked Him again, and he added that it was the sabbath day. They did not believe that he had been blind, so they called his parents and asked them, and the parents said we know this is our son, and we know he was blind by birth, and we don’t know who opened his eye. He is of age, and he can speak for himself. They said this because they feared that they would expel them from the temple.

They called the man again and said give God the praise. We know this man is a sinner. If he is a sinner, I don’t know, but all I do know is that I was blind, and now I see. How did he do it? I told you already, and you haven’t heard anything. Are you seeking to be His disciple, also? At this point, the Pharisees got angry and expelled him from the synagogue. This man who was blind allowed Jesus’ light to shine through Him, giving God the glory.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him? And Jesus said unto him, thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talked with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

And Jesus said, For judgment, I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. This is the message we have heard of him and declare unto you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him .(1 John 1:5).

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend it.

God has sent his truth into the world, but men would rather live in darkness, accept lies, and believe them than the truth of the light. If you have Jesus, you have the life; if you don’t have Jesus, you don’t have the Life. This is how you get Jesus. God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, That whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting Life. Pray to God, Tell Him You are A sinner, that you believe in His Son, that you believe that He died on the cross for your sin, and that you believe that God raised Him from the dead. Ask him to forgive you. Thank Him in Jesus’ name, Amen.  If you prayed this prayer God Bless You and welcome to the family.

Immanuel Church of Jesus Christ,

Chaplain Rev. Reginald Stevens, Pastor

(708) 328 6575
3812 W168th St
Country Club Hills, Illinois
http://Immanuelchurchofchrist.com