He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25
Have you experienced a personal touch from God in some area of your life? When the Lord delivers us personally, it is pretty convincing proof to our hearts of His kindness and grace. Despite obvious proofs, however, some people refuse to believe in God.
Jesus’ disciples, having been taught by the Jewish religious system that disease was the direct result of the afflicted person’s sin, were curious when they saw a man who had been born blind: Was it the man who had sinned, they asked Jesus, or his parents?
The Demonstration of the Power of God
Jesus cleared things up quickly: neither. God had allowed the man to be born blind in order to demonstrate His power in the man’s life. Upon finishing this explanation, Jesus “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’” (John 9:6–7). The man did as Jesus told him, and he came back seeing.
The problem with this, at least for the religious leaders, is that once again Jesus had “broken” the Sabbath. When Jesus kneaded mud to form clay, the Pharisees, absurdly, considered His actions a violation of the Law.
The religious leaders questioned the blind man as to how he had been healed. Not content with his straightforward explanation, they called in his parents. “We have no idea how he can now see,” his parents answered. “He is of age; ask him” (John 9:21). They were afraid to say more since the religious leaders had by this time threatened excommunication for anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah.
The Jewish leaders became angry and said to the blind man, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner” (John 9:24). This man had been a beggar all of his adult life, but now he was prepared to stand up to these religious leaders. “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know,” the man answered. “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).
The Work of God
Besides being a bold challenge to the Jews, the man’s testimony was profound. God had done an obvious work in his life, and that was enough for him. But the Jews continued to press the man. Despite their demands, the truth was crystal clear to him. “Really?” he told the leaders. “You don’t know where this Man comes from? He is obviously from God, or He couldn’t have done this.”
Now the Jews showed their true colors. “You were born in sin, and you dare to teach us?” they cried. And they threw him out of the synagogue. What the man’s parents had feared came upon their son.
When Jesus heard of this, He found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35). This man looked at Jesus for the first time, hearing again the voice that had told him to go and wash. As he realized who Jesus was, the man cried, “Lord, I believe!”
Open Eyes and Hearts
Jesus came to open the eyes of those who are blind. The person who acknowledges his blindness and sin and cries to God for mercy finds sight.
Jesus also came to pronounce judgment—to close the eyes of those who say they see. The Pharisees thought they had spiritual sight. But before them was God Himself in human flesh, who had just done what no man could do, and they fought against Him from every angle imaginable. The Pharisees’ insistence that they were right would eventually bring them to the place where there was no help for them.
Jesus wants to touch us and open our eyes and hearts to the work of His Spirit. Our part is simply to yield to Him.