The Blind Man
by
Was the blind man sitting in his usual spot begging? People would walk around him and past him. Sometimes they didn't see him, sometimes they did, and then he could hear them talking: “Who sinned? Was it him or his parents?” What do you think went through his mind?
Then one day Jesus saw him. Suddenly everything changed, because he heard Jesus say, “this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (verse 3). What happened to him then? Did he begin to find hope?
What did he hear Jesus say? “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (verse 5). A paste was smeared on his eyes and he was instructed, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” I wonder how he got there. After all, he was still blind. Did someone take him by the hand, or did he set off to walk there on his own with his stick? He did as he was told, and off he went. As a result, he was able to see.
Let’s fast forward. At home questions were asked. “Hey, is that really you? What happened? Were you healed today - on the Sabbath? You were healed when you washed your eyes? Is that allowed on the Sabbath?”
How does it all end? The man gave a courageous testimony to the Jewish leaders. His parents didn`t want to get involved. He was expelled from the synagogue. Then Jesus found him again. He started a new life through Jesus who revealed Himself as the Messiah. The formerly blind man worshipped Jesus and became a follower of Him.
The lesson for us is that when Jesus comes along and sees our need, what a journey lies ahead! We could have something smeared on our eyes that we must wash off. We might go through a healing process with uncomfortable aspects and challenges. It could involve learning to discover something, receive something, being given a task to do, and embarking on a new path.
Perhaps we sometimes feel like a blind beggar who can't find his way, but Jesus comes along and everything can change.
The blind man was humble, without pride or arrogance, and accustomed to receiving mercy. He was able to receive healing by grace without having to do anything. Can we receive love and mercy without deserving it? Can we receive healing, love, and forgiveness without being able to do anything for it? God so loved the world, and God loves you and me so much.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
