The Displaying of Obedience

One of my favorite songs is Amazing Grace. It’s a song that usually brings tears to my eyes because of the truth it represents in my own life. The line that says “I once was lost but now am found- was blind but now I see” especially rings true for me as I’m sure it does for a lot of people.

In John 9:1-38 we read about an unknown man who was born blind until Jesus healed him. The story is Jesus was out with His disciples one day and they came upon a man who was born blind. The disciples asked Jesus if this man’s parents sin or his to have been born blind. Jesus said “Neither, this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me, night is coming, when no one can work. While I ‘am in the world I ‘am the light of the world.” After He said this He spit on the ground making mud with the dirt and His saliva and put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. This man did as Jesus told him and when he came back his eyesight had been restored. His neighbors were looking at him the Bible says and even they didn’t know if it was him or not. Some said that it only looked like him and others said it wasn’t him. The people then demanded to know as to how he could see, and he told them that Jesus had done it and he told them how He did it. The people then wanted to know where Jesus was, and he said he didn’t know. They then brought him to the Pharisees and they asked this man the same thing as to how he received his sight. The Pharisees then said, “This man is not from God for he does not keep the Sabbath” some of the others there said, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” and upon hearing this statement there arose a division between the people. They then asked this man what he had to say about him (meaning Jesus) because they said, “It is your eyes he opened” and the man simply said to them “He is a prophet.”

The Jews the Bible says still didn't believe that he had been born blind and so they sent for his parents who were not much help. When asked if he was their son or not they said he was and that he was indeed born blind. The Jews asked his parents as to how they thought this happened to their son and they responded only that he was their son and had been born blind and that for as how he could now see they didn’t know. They told them to ask their son themselves because they said that he was of age and could speak for himself. (The reason his parents said this is for the fear of being put out of the synagogue because of what the Jews had said regarding anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the Christ) The Jews then go to this man a second time and tell him to give glory to God and that they know this man is a sinner. The man said back to them “Whether he is a sinner or not I don’t know. One thing I do know – I was blind but now I see!’ They asked again as to what Jesus had done to him and how that he opened his eyes. He then said “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” That question made them upset and the Bible says they started hurling insults at him and said “You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." The man answered them by saying "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God doesn't listen to sinners he listens to the godly, and who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." To this they said, "You were steeped in sin at birth, how dare you lecture us" and upon saying that they threw him out. 

Jesus hearing about what had happened to him went and found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” and the man answered “Who is he, Sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus then said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” The man then said “Lord, I believe” and then worshipped him.

This story is amazing at so many levels and yet for this man, that day was filled with a lot of mixed emotions. This man was alongside the road when Jesus came up and interrupted his life that day by healing him. The words of Jesus to "Go and wash in the pool" were words that would change his life forever. This man had no idea that day that his being obedient to those words would be so life-changing. For this man he never asked for healing, he never even asked Jesus to stop- Jesus is the one who came to him and while talking to the disciples immediately started the process of healing this man. It is also amazing that when this man came back his neighbors could not say for sure if it was him or not. It reminds us again that when Christ gets a hold of you and He lives inside of you we should no longer look the same. We may look the same on the outside but what comes out of our mouths, our habits, our actions, etc. should be different.

Another point to think of is that this man had been healed and even though his parents would not speak of Jesus he in the end would. He did not know all the details, but he did stand up for the one who gave his sight. The Pharisees obviously had an issue with this claim, but this man stood his ground and actually for those minutes started to sound like a minister himself. Then, in the end, Jesus comes again to this man's rescue however this time it was for his soul and he accepted. Now, what an awesome day this man had all because he chose to obey the words of Jesus.

For us, we need to accept that Jesus may interrupt our lives and it may be difficult. There are those even in today's world who dare to question what God can and will do and we are to be the proof. This man stood alone that day in a sense and he didn't give in and neither should we. When God comes and interrupts our lives we need to obey everything He tells us and watch how not only our eyes will be opened but also the eyes of those around us.

From Gardens of Splendor by Gina Burns