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"This is My Beloved Son: Hear Him!"

The Healing of the Blind Man: John 9

Disease and illness was considered to be the direct result of sin. Thus when the disciples saw a man blind from birth they asked Jesus: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered:

3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.

 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"

9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him."
But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.

11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

John 9

• In contrast to the faith of the centurion, the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus could heal the sick. Notice that Jesus also heals the blind man through physically touching him and putting mud on his eyes. We know that Jesus didn’t need to do this. But perhaps the blind man needed Jesus to heal him in this way because his faith was weak.

• The Jews believed that sickness was a result of a person’s sinfulness. But Jesus teaches that people do not always get ill as a consequence of something they have done wrong. God can use people’s illnesses as a way to glorify Himself.

• Jesus warns us against spiritual blindness. The Pharisees were blind to their own faults and didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."

30 The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

34 To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."

37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Jesus once described the Pharisees who thought they 'saw' the truth of God's word, as being blind leaders of the blind (Matt 15:14). Pride stopped them seeing Jesus for who He really was. But once again we see a humble active faith as displayed by the blind man being rewarded.

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