Anchor My Faith

Healing the Man Born Blind

Scripture: John 9:4-7

We saw in the previous lesson, a connection between suffering and the works of God. There are times when God desires to accomplish something in or through a person and uses suffering to accomplish that means. In regions of the world where we find rapid growth of Christianity, we also find great suffering through persecution.

Jesus continues his answer to the disciple’s question by saying: ^{Jn 9:4} “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

These are works of beneficence and mercy which God has commissioned us to do. Here before Jesus is a man born blind that needs help, but as we will see in verse 14 this is a Sabbath day and if Jesus were to heal him it would further endanger his life. Jesus knew it was his Father’s will to do good, and that he would take care of his life. When we have opportunity to do good, are we willing to get involved at the risk of causing us some form of suffering. As Jesus continued to do the will of his Father, it eventually resulted in him being crucified. How much are we willing to sacrifice to do the will of God?

In the predominantly agrarian environment of the time of Jesus, day would be considered the proper time to work when there was light to see; night would not be the time to work. As long as it was day it was proper to labor. In the context of this verse, “day” would refer to the time Jesus was here in his earthly ministry, for he was “the light of the world” whose presence made everything “day.” That “day” was drawing to a close as the life of Jesus was nearing its end, but while it continues he must employ it doing the works which his Father had given him to do.

We are “the light of the world” and as long as we are alive we are to be working, doing the work God has assigned to us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV). We are to “let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 ESV). As long as Jesus was in the world, he was the light of the world, but now that he has returned to his Father, we who believe in him and follow him, are the light of the world and need to be employed as he was doing the work of the gospel; kingdom work.

^{Jn 9:6} “Having said these things, [Jesus] spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So, he went and washed and came back seeing.”

It is not clear why in this healing Jesus made mud to use to anoint the blind man’s eyes. Maybe it is pointing back to Genesis 2:7 when “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” As the creator, Jesus may be echoing his work of creation by re-creating this man’s eyes. Having anointed his eyes with mud, Jesus sends him to the pool of Siloam to wash off the mud and gain his sight as an act of faith. What do you think he thought about as he went? Did he go alone, or did someone go with him and if they did what do you think they talked about on the way? When he washed the mud off and he gained sight, what do you think the experience was like for him?

Conclusion

As the light of the world, Jesus brought light into this blind man by healing his eyes. Being the light of the world, Jesus also brings the light of the knowledge of God and as light of the world, we are to bring to those bound in darkness the light of the knowledge of Jesus.