DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 'Go,' He told him, 'wash in the pool of Siloam' (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." John 9:1-7
It was a popular opinion at the time of our text--and not really absent in today's world--that things didn't just happen, but happened for a reason, especially things like illness and disability. Somebody was responsible for this disability; maybe God was punishing someone for something. Things didn't just happen.
Now, in a way, they were right; not strictly correct, but they were bordering on truth. The consequences of the sin by our greatest of parents, Adam and Eve, are part of our human inheritance of disease, tragedy, war and terror. The terrible event may be of the magnitude of a flooding hurricane where people lose homes and livelihoods. The tragic event may be in the quiet tears of parents when they learn that their newborn has been born blind.
Of course, the questions come quickly and they usually boil down to, "Why?" The world asks, "Why did this hurricane happen?" A parent asks, "Why did this happen to us?" The answers, especially in this universe where God supposedly rules and reigns, are often either unacceptable or incomprehensible to man's reason, intellect, emotion and nature.
The faithful, however, are capable of hearing the answer and accepting it; yet, they too need to hear the Word of God time and again.
After this man was healed, some of the Pharisees remained convinced that that this man was steeped in sin from birth. They considered him a liar and a fraud and he was therefore not worthy of their presence, and so they threw him out.
Seems that blindness comes in many forms, doesn't it? That is nothing new. It happens every day. According to the Bible, even the disciples ask a leading question that comes from a quite natural worldview, one that supposes that one does not suffer one thing or another without a specific sin being the primary cause. This is very often the viewpoint of the world even today. The world expects this kind of cause and effect because it is based upon the fact that there's some truth in it that can be observed.
Many are offended at the problem of pain and suffering, and as a result, blame God, if indeed, God is acknowledged as existing. Even Christians can, in the middle of tragedy, become angry or bewildered as they question God. So what went wrong? Did the baby sin or did his parents sin? Who is to blame for all this?
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." This answer is not understandable apart from faith in Christ, and even then Christians wonder, "What does this mean? What are the works of God?"
But we see in our text that the works of God center on Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Think about the works of the Incarnate Son of God. Jesus came to fulfill the Law in our place. This was His work in keeping the Commandments perfectly. Jesus did this. He also came to work out the salvation of the world by shedding His Blood on the cross in order to bestow the full forgiveness of all our sins. This was His work in taking our sins and death upon Himself. Jesus did this as well. He also came to rise again from the dead in order that the darkness of disease and death and decay is defeated and replaced by the Light of Life and the glorious body manifested at His Resurrection from the grave. This triumphant work is done. Jesus is risen.
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." And how are these works of Christ displayed in a person, whether the blind man then, or the child now, or the aging grandparent, or disabled adult, or you?
That is the work of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God's promise. Consider the Word of Promise that the blind man had and how the Holy Spirit gave him the gift of faith to believe the Word. Jesus had mixed His spit with dirt, applied it to the man's eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Certainly, no one would do such a thing without believing, and remember, believing is the work of God that He gives. Faith receives the blessing that God promises, in this case that the blind man would be able to see and the Holy Spirit grants the faith necessary to receive the blessing. God the Father created water, and God the Son applied His spittle in the ministration of the Word and directed the man to the water as the means of grace, and the Holy Spirit Who worked the intended blessing by means of water and the Word.
That was for that one man at that one time. The Church has neither promise nor directive from God for dust, spittle and the pool of Siloam. Rather, we have the promise that children of God come about through baptizing households and by teaching the Word of Law and Gospel. So those who sit in darkness see the Light of the world as their eyes are opened to, and in, and with Christ. In other words, that "the works of God might be displayed in" them.
Once you were blind, but now you see. Through the water and the Word, you see who your Savior is, and so it is important and necessary for those who are Christians to continue to hear His Word. You were sent to the waters of regeneration where you were born again by the Holy Spirit, and you were washed and have returned from the living waters with the eyes of faith. To remain faithful and in the faith, you need to return - next week and for as many weeks as God grants you - to return, confess your sins and hear the words, "You are forgiven of all your sins.”
