Jesus encounters this man. It is a Sabbath. Jesus uses his spit and the dirt to make some mud which he applies to the man's eyes. He tells the man to go wash, and the man is able to see.
There are many things about this story that need to be examined. The one that I want to address this morning is the attention the writer gives to the fact that this man was "born blind."
Unlike other miracles, where Jesus might be portrayed as a healer, as one who could fix something that is broken, this story involves making something which has never been there. It is an act of creation. As with the calming of the storm, this story speaks of Jesus' link to the One who called all things into being and the one who presides over the whole of the cosmos.
Many will say they appreciate Jesus as a wise teacher, but are unprepared to embrace him as Messiah. Others will give a nod of appreciation at his ability to convince the crowd to share its bread so that no one goes hungry, but won't take the leap of calling him Lord. I am not trying to draw a circle around some and leave others out, but the Gospel story is intended to continually ask us the question Jesus asked his first disciples - "Who do you think I am?"
Is Jesus, in your life, a wise teacher or a better than average miracle worker? What does it mean to embrace him as Lord and Savior?
Someone asked at Bible Study on Tuesday that God would "Smack them in the face" so that all doubt would be removed. This is what we are waiting for? Is this what is required?
Read John 9. Picture yourself in this story. With which character do you most identify? And ask yourself whether you are prepared to affirm Jesus for whom this story reveals him to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment