Daily Devotions
John
An especially elaborate way of healing
Text: John 9 : 1 - 9
AN ESPECIALLY ELABORATE WAY OF HEALING
John described a number of ways in which Jesus healed people. He could perform the mighty works of God by mere instruction. For example, He gave instructions to the servants of the household in Cana of Galilee. Following His instructions, water was turned into wine (John 2:1-10).
On another occasion, Jesus healed the son of a nobleman who pleaded for mercy to be given to his gravely ill son. He begged Jesus to go to his home. Jesus politely refused but He healed his son nevertheless. He did not even need to be there to perform this great miracle (John 4:46-54). From a distance, Jesus healed the young lad from the disease that threatened his life.
It comes as a pleasant surprise to read John’s account of the way Jesus healed the man born blind.
“When He said these things, He spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes
of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him,
‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent).
So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”
John 9:6-7
We can only guess at why Jesus did what He did. We must presume that the blind man was within earshot as Jesus spoke to His Disciples. Perhaps the words of the Disciples brought discouragement to the ears of the blind man. He would presumably be familiar with this line of reasoning. He must have heard such words from the lips of The Jews before. They had dismissed him as a hopeless and sinful person who was being punished by God with blindness. Deep inside his heart he must have felt deep grief and hurt that such words could have been said concerning him, or his parents! Where was the God of compassion and mercy that he was told to believe in?
A great sense of hope and faith must have sprung up in the heart of the blind man as he heard the voice of Jesus. He couldn’t see Him but he could hear Him. Did He not speak of the great “works of God”? Did He not say that He must do the works of God? Did He not also say that He was the light of the world? Could this be the Messiah of God? Could He have enough power to heal him and give him sight?
A VERY TENDER LANGUAGE
The blind man could not see what Jesus was doing. He made clay! He could hear Jesus spitting on the ground. What was He doing? What was the meaning of the silence that settled on the scene?
Wait! Jesus had not left. He was still there even though He had stopped speaking for a while. He may have been blind, but his hearing was still good. He also had not lost his sense of touch. The strangest thing happened! Jesus took the clay and put that on his eyes! What was He doing?
If it had been just anybody else, the blind man would have reacted violently. To put clay on the eyes of a blind man would be cruel! But he knew that This Man who spoke about doing the works of God was not cruel.
He was communicating with Him. He was speaking a very tender language even as He worked to put the clay upon his eyes. He could not see His hands, but he could certainly feel His strong but gentle hands! Then He spoke those words that would never be forgotten. The words themselves were ordinary, but the power of those words brought a new sense of surging hope into his heart. “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.”
He went. He had to go. His eyes had clay put on them. He must wash the clay away! But there was hope in his heart now. Would his fondest wish be granted at last? Had the great God of Israel heard His prayer finally? Would he now be healed?
He had been sent to wash his eyes at a pool called Siloam which could also be interpreted to mean “Sent”. He was surely being sent to do more than just wash his eyes. He was sent to receive a miracle from God. Would he go? The blind man had not argued with Jesus in the slightest. Humbly and gratefully, he allowed Jesus to touch his face and his eyes in particular. Touched by none other than the Messiah! He went and washed his face, and to his greatest sense of delight and joy, he opened his eyes and saw for the first time in his life!
Another great work of God had been performed! He who said that He was the Light of the world had given him light. He needed light to see. He could now see as others did! What joy must have filled his heart that day! He understood what Jesus had said. But where was Jesus? He must at least thank Him from the bottom of his heart for this great miracle he had received from God!
Humble clay was used, and it brought about healing to a person born blind! Humble clay was also used, so the man was taught, when God created man! He made him from the ground, from the very dust! Who is this Person who could use simple clay to give sight to a man born blind?
SURPRISE BUT NOT NECESSARILY JOY
We would imagine that if a person were healed, everybody in the neighbourhood would rejoice! This wasn’t the case with the neighbours of the erstwhile blind man.
“Therefore the neighbours and those who
previously had seen that he was blind said,
‘Is not this he who sat and begged?’
Some said, ‘This is he.’ Others said, ‘He is like him.’
He said, ‘I am he.'”
John 9:8-9
The neighbours should have thrown a party for their “friend” when they discovered that he could now see! Instead, they became unsure whether he was really the same person to whom they had given alms! He had been born blind! How could he now see? The neighbours, like the Jews and the Disciples (at this period of time anyway) limited God’s power terribly. They could not understand or see the power that resided in Jesus! He was the Light of the world. He could bring light and sight to the blind!