Who is Blind and Who Can See?

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works 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.” After saying 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 asked. 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.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

We can learn a lot today about Jesus' view of sickness and how often people make very unhelpful statements when people get sick.  In this passage for instance his disciples attribute the man's blindness to either his, or his parent's sin.  Can you imagine being blind from birth and then someone suggesting it was your fault?  

Jesus quickly clarifies that this man's inability to see is not a result of sin, but an opportunity to show God's goodness and power through His Son.  Jesus healed this man in an unusual manner by mixing mud with his saliva, and then applying it to the man's eyes. As you study Jesus' miracles, Jesus healed in many ways.  He never used one mode of healing to keep us from thinking that there is a magical way to bring God's healing.  Jesus could have just commanded the man to see if he chose to.  But, in this case Jesus rubbed mud and saliva on the man's eyes, and when he washed in the pool of Siloam as Jesus told him to do, he was healed. The pool of Siloam was fed by another spring of water, which was used for ritual cleansing in the Jewish faith. It was also used through the history of the Jewish people as source of water when Israel was invaded. Jesus uses the pool be a spring of healing water..   

Finally, we see the reaction of the man's neighbors.  Though they knew the man was blind, they tried to rationalize what Jesus had done for him. The man simply gave his testimony as to what Jesus had done for him which should have been obvious for all to SEE.  Later, the Pharisees interrogate the man trying to minimize what Jesus had done for him. But when questioned a third time the man gives the famous reply, "You can judge for yourseIves, I was blind and now I can see!"   

God heals people in all kinds of ways.  Sometimes God doesn't heal people the way we might expect.  Sometimes God doesn't heal someone at all in this life. Ultimately healing for all of us comes when we die and go to heaven.  But the bottom line is that for us to think that someone is sick because of their sin is antithetical to the gospel.  Rather than judging someone else's sin, when we see our sin and what Jesus did for us we too can say with the blind man, "I was blind but now I see!"