The Blind Man

Introduction

A. John 9 is challenging on two or three levels. We could discuss the nature of suffering from this text. While not exhaustive, Jesus reassures his disciples and us that suffering cannot be explained by the simple explanation that we get what we deserve. The man who was born blind did nothing to warrant such a punishment nor did his parents. Suffering doesn’t always come as result of deserving based upon sin. Jesus settles that question in this chapter.

B. This chapter challenges us to try and understand why Jesus healed this blind man the way that he did. Why use mud? Why not heal instantly? Both of those probably are answered by the end of the chapter as we observe the man’s faith grow. It is my opinion that Jesus healed the way he did because the man needed to be healed in that manner. Healing for Jesus is not merely about the miracle but the resulting faith of a person is important as well.

C. And it is the blind man’s faith that we are going to focus on today. We are going to see how his faith grows. His encounter with Jesus changes the way he deals with his family, it changes him physically and spiritually, and it changes his outlook for the future. All of us have encountered Jesus and when we do, our faith cannot remain neutral or peripheral. Jesus changes people but we must be willing to allow the challenges that we face to be met with a faith that is unbridled.

The Story

A. Jesus and his disciples cross paths with a man who has been blind since birth. While the disciples treat him as an object rather than as person, Jesus knows that this man’s life is going to change in more ways than physically. While Jesus heals the man in an unorthodox way (as if any miracle is orthodox), let me remind you that the man never saw Jesus. He was blind when Jesus applied the mud to his eyes and Jesus was not in close proximity when he washed his eyes. But the full benefit of the miracle is often overlooked. Not only is the man given sight but having been blind since birth, he is also given the ability of depth perception and recognition even though he has never seen. In other words, we must understand it isn’t just sight which is given to this man but instant developmental abilities which only comes with being able to see as a baby helping the optic nerve and areas of the brain develop for sight. A miracle indeed.

B. So complete is the miracle, that some of his neighbors and daily passersby think he is someone else. He doesn’t look the same; he sees with clarity. A miracle of great proportion has been done. There are no instances of blindness being cured in the Old Testament and with the exception of Paul’s blindness being cured with the touch of Ananias in Acts 9 only Jesus gives sight to the blind. Such activity is associated with God in Exodus 4:11 and Psalms 146:8 and is clearly messianic activity in Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5; and Isaiah 42:7. This may be one of the reasons why John includes this miracle in his writing. This blind man’s healing testifies about Jesus being the messiah.

C. But it isn’t just the miracle itself which serves as a testimony about Jesus. The blind man is interrogated by the religious leaders to determine who Jesus is. The healing takes place on the Sabbath and as has happened on other occasions such a act is viewed as a sinful action. The religious leaders discount Jesus’ actions by claiming he must be a sinner to violate the law; then they question if the man was ever truly blind; then they insult the man for inviting the religious leaders to join him in faith; finally, the religious leaders decide that he cannot participate in religious observance because he has faith in Jesus. This progression of action against the man comes because the religious leaders do not want to accept what has happened or the one who performed such an act.

Progression of Faith

A. Just as the religious leaders have a progression of actions against the blind man, so the man has a progression of faith as he is confronted with what has happened to him. Immediately after the miracle, the man’s neighbors question him about what has happened. Notice in 9:11 that the man calls Jesus “the man named Jesus.” Remember he hasn’t seen Jesus. The man did what he was told to do. He went and washed and now he sees. Jesus did it.

B. But then the man is brought to the religious leaders to explain what has happened. They confront the man. Obviously Jesus cannot be from God because God’s representative wouldn’t break the Sabbath requirements. So the religious leaders ask the man to give an explanation. Notice 9:17, the man says that Jesus is a prophet. Prophet would be one sent from God. He contradicts the assessment of the religious leaders.

C. A second round of questions come. The man is asked to explain things. In 9:27, the man with tongue in cheek assumes that the religious leaders must want to be disciples too because they keep asking him to explain things. While the religious leaders insult the man, the man makes a very simple logical case for Jesus. Only a person who comes from God could give sight to the blind. 9:33, Jesus has come from God. This is a confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

D. Finally the man meets Jesus. Not having seen Jesus before the man doesn’t realize who he is talking to. Jesus identifies himself as the one who healed the man and notice 9:38, the man worships Jesus. Only God is to be worshiped. From man to prophet to Messiah to God. There is a progression of this man’s faith. With each encounter with people; with each demand to make sense of what has happened, the man comes to greater faith in Jesus.

Lessons

A. Here are the lessons for us. Faith grows as we are challenged. Each time the blind man was confronted by someone wanting to know what had happened or how he explained what had happened to him, his faith increased. This is the benefit of being challenged. In our search for truth, we have to be asked the hard questions; we have to explain what we believe and why we believe it. While we may not like faith challenges, it is only when our faith is challenged that it has opportunity to grow. Oswald Chambers acknowledge the importance of faith in challenges when he wrote: “Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace.” Some things can only be learned through challenges and our faith can only be increased as it is tested and tried.

B. Second, faith has consequences. True faith will be challenged. To act in faith in the face of that challenge may not always bring results that we like or appreciate. But one cannot be neutral when it comes to faith. Faith calls for action and actions at times cause us pain and suffering. Recently I read of pharmacists in Illinois who have left their jobs because Illinois law requires that they dispense the morning after pill. Such a demand meant that they had to decide what their faith would allow. The blind man lost his connection to the social and spiritual practices of his community because of his faith. But his faith would not be given up even with such powerful consequences. What does your faith really mean to you? Invitation.

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