Sight to the Blind

March 14 Sight to the Blind John 9:1-12

“(W)henever we see anyone in a bad state, we cannot stop the thought at once coming to our minds that the distresses which press upon him are punishments inflicted by God’s hand. But here we generally err…Since everyone is a bitter censor of others, few people apply the same severity to themselves as they should do. If things go badly with my brother, I at once acknowledge the judgment of God. But if God chastises me with a heavier stroke, I overlook my sins.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:237

In the Temple, as He taught, Jesus faced great opposition. He had told them that He was the Light of the World, but most of them hadn’t believed Him; some even tried to kill Him. So Jesus went back out into the world, among the common people. He continued to teach, but He did it with His hands. What better way to demonstrate that He was the Light of the World, than to give sight to the blind?

They came across a man born blind, presumably begging at the side of the road or by one of the city’s gates. His disciples began to debate whether the man’s affliction had been caused by his own sin or by that of his parents. They asked Jesus’ opinion. It was common, at that time, for people to think that there was a causal link between physical ailments and sin. The Old Testament does, indeed, teach that sin brings divine punishment, which can come in the form of sickness or disease; but it does not conclude that every bad effect can be traced to a sinful cause. In a general sense, one may say that pain is in our world because sin is in our world. But to attempt to identify causes for specific sins is to go far beyond the general principle found in Scripture. A particular ailment may well be traced to the fallenness of creation, but it cannot always be attributed to a particular sin.

Jesus’ answer was that neither the man nor his parents had sinned and caused his blindness. He was blind in order that God might be glorified through his healing. It is probable that Jesus did not mean anything more than, “Stop discussing abstract theology when you have a need staring you in the face.” He certainly did not mean that all sickness exists in order that God might be glorified through healing. The important point is that Jesus would not allow them to use the man as an illustration; he was an opportunity – an individual who needed the help that Jesus could give.

Jesus took soil and spittle, mixed them together to form mud, placed the mixture on the man’s eyes then told him to go to the Pool of Siloam. If he washed there, he would be healed. Promptly, the man did as he was told and his sight was restored! It was not long before he was being questioned about his miraculous recovery. All he could say, having seen nothing himself, was what he had heard, that a man called Jesus had placed mud on his eyes, and bid him bathe, and that now he could see.

In the Bible, giving sight to the blind is God’s prerogative, though it was also expected that the Messiah, when He came, would be able to do the same. So Jesus, whom the New Testament reminds us had had a hand in creation, formed mud, much as God had formed Adam from the clay of the earth. The One who came to bring Living Water sent the man to the Pool of Siloam, from whence water was taken for the Feast of Tabernacles. Without any indication of faith from the man, Jesus brought sight where there had only been darkness. It was an act of pure grace, and through it God was indeed glorified.

For further reading: Psalm 100