See, Testify, Worship: A Look At John 9

See, Testify, Worship
A Look At John 9

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.” John 9:25 NIV

Jesus is into His ministry full steam. Wherever He goes, multitudes follow Him. And the Pharisees question Him: “Who are you? What are you doing here? Who gives you the authority to do that?” And they accuse Him: “You should be stoned! You are of the devil!” None of these things stop His work, nor could they. In all their attempts to discredit Jesus, the Pharisees end up looking foolish, heartless, godless – caring more about procedure and pride than about the soul of the individual. Time after time, Jesus frustrates them with His claim to be the Son of God, and His ability to counter their arguments while speaking to their hearts.

Born Blind
After one such debate, Jesus slips away just before they stone Him. And He passes a man born blind (Jn. 9). His disciples ask Him a very perplexing question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” This may seem like a silly question. But in those days ill health, poverty, and disease were often blamed on a sinful life. While sin can be the cause of these things, in this case Jesus Himself tells us that this man was born blind “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (9:3).

But the blind man didn’t know this. All he knew was that he was blind – condemned to a beggar’s life, an outcast of society, and for what? No one knew, except Jesus. They may have thought they knew. Judging comes easy for us: “Oh, there’s that filthy beggar again! Just ignore him and keep walking, children. Sinner, serves you right!”

Not everyone was so harsh. For the most part they probably just got used to him being there. His outstretched hand, waiting for something, anything to help the hopeless. Person after person passing by, tossing their loose change his way – until one day a very different Man approaches him. Others are with Him. He says He is “the light of the world” (9:5).

Jesus spits on the ground, makes a little mud from His spit and places it on the man’s eyes. His only instructions are, “Go ... wash in the pool of Siloam” (9:7). What’s truly amazing is that the blind man does it. After all these years, he might have said, “You dab a little mud on my eyes and expect me to do what?” What a tragic response that would’ve been. But instead he does exactly as he’s told. Why?

Given Sight
Imagine how desperate this man must have felt – blind, with no hope for a cure, he’d try anything. He’s desperate: “Whatever it takes. I’ll do whatever you say.” But it’s more than desperation. It’s orchestration by God. Why? To display His works. This man, with no hope, obeys the voice of an unseen Man – and becomes the first man in history born blind, who would receive his sight.

You’d think this would be cause for great celebration. But a sad thing happens. The skeptics come forth with doubt: “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg? ... No, he only looks like him” (9:8-9). But the formerly blind man shouts, “I am the man.” So they ask what any good skeptic would ask: “How then were your eyes opened?” (9:10).

The man’s only answer, “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” (9:11).

Human nature’s not always something to be proud of, but it does keep skeptics alive – and they take this man to the Pharisees. Why did they do that? There really was no need. Even if they didn’t believe him, this miracle wouldn’t harm them – unless, it was not what was done but who had done it. When asked what happened this man said, “Jesus did it.” And that was the problem. The Pharisees only needed to hear that name and they wouldn’t rest until they found some fault in what He was doing.

Time To Testify
The inquiry quickly turns into an inquisition. They question the formerly blind man, then his parents – and then him again. Only they were no longer asking about what happened, but about Jesus who was stirring things up again. But no one would say what they wanted to hear, so they said it themselves: “We know this man is a sinner” (9:24).

This is what pride in self always does – pushes aside the truth in favor of what it wants to hear. The Pharisees do this very well: “Jesus couldn’t be God’s Son. No way was He the Messiah.” Their unbelief refused to accept that what He did could only be done through God.

The person at the center of the controversy holds his ground. The formerly blind man didn’t have many answers. All he could say was, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (9:25). He could say nothing else because he knew nothing else. He couldn’t debate the Pharisees, but his responses didn’t sit well with them. All he could do was tell them what happened.

In reality, that’s all any of us can say. How can we explain the working of God? We can tell what happened and where our hope lies. But to expound the mysteries of the One who made us and saves us can’t be done. We can tell what happened to us. Hopefully others will be able to see it.

The blind man’s neighbors could. They said, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” When we come to Christ – or better, when He comes to us – we are no longer blind beggars, but sighted children of the Most High God. We don’t know it all and never will. But one thing’s sure, we see!

Time To Worship
Perhaps the most beautiful part of this story occurs after this man is kicked out by the Pharisees and Jesus gets word of it. He comes to him and reveals Himself as “the Son of Man.” And the formerly blind man “believed” and “worshiped Him” (9:38).

Shouldn’t this be our response as well? Once we were blind, but now we see. Shouldn’t others notice the change in our lives? Shouldn’t we testify to that change? Shouldn’t we worship the One responsible for bringing us from darkness into light, taking away blindness and giving us sight?

By Chuck Myers