As I look around me I see the different battle fronts in our varied lives. I see that basically we are all in a struggle to know what is truth, and in what direction do we need to move next to find ourselves in the center of that truth. Some of us our facing this battle more intensely than others who may be currently at rest and satisfied with life. But I believe that if we are honest, we all have times when the battle is intense, and times when it is calm.
In concluding that we are in a battle, my thoughts were drawn to an account in the gospel of John that has often caught my attention. It is the 9th chapter, the account of Jesus smearing mud made from spit on the eyes of a blind man, and then telling him to wash in the pool of Siloam. In verse 16 we see a conflict developing in the minds of the people looking on. Some say this miracle worker can’t come from God because he doesn’t observe the Sabbath, while others question how he can do miracles if he isn’t from God. The verse concludes saying the people were divided.
Don’t we all at times find ourselves running similar questions through our minds? Why is God so silent? Why doesn’t he answer our prayers with clear cut answers? When there are so many different sides, who is right and who is wrong? Some say one thing; some say another. And if you’re like me you have at times wished the truth or the next step in life was shouted out to you in some unmistakably, God-proven way: a hand-writing on the wall, or in the sky, or a thundering voice, silencing all others. That would surely prove who is right and who is wrong and give us the clear direction we are so longing for. Would it not?
Looking at the story of the blind man though, I find something quite different. I have to wonder what was going through this gentleman’s mind after the Master’s healing hand opened his eyes. “Who in the world is this guy? Why didn’t he come around before?” These may be a couple of his questioning thoughts. However, I would propose that his mind was in quite a different train of thought. Mouth hanging wide open, “This is awesome! Glancing here and glancing there, “What breathtaking sights! So this is what my hands look like!” Almost in a tizzy, he tried to put together what he was seeing, with what his mind had perceived all along. His whole life was instantly changed. He no longer walked so cautiously, trying to avoid stubbing his toes or coming to an instant halt at the side of a house. He now could run! And run he did, for he had a lot of friends to meet! He even forgot to thank that stranger for giving him what he so long had wished for.
All the while this gentleman is delightfully experiencing his new eyesight, the people are trying desperately to figure out what is going on. Some, the leaders in particular, have boldly concluded that Jesus could not possibly be the Messiah. “He can’t be. The Law of Moses condemns him. He has broken the Sabbath!” But, he has performed a miracle, which is only possible through God.
I love the response of the healed man. First of all he confirms that he indeed is the man that was born blind but now sees. Then he gives his conclusion that Jesus is a prophet. To him it is quite obvious. And yet his humility stands out to me. He admits his knowledge is pretty limited, but he can’t ignore the facts. “I don’t know who this guy is but one thing is sure, just a bit ago I was blind, but now I can see.”
Notice the absurdity that pride produces in the minds of the Jews. At one point they declare they know for sure Jesus is a sinner and only a short time later they say they don’t know where he is from, God or the devil. In their stubbornness they can’t even see that they contradict themselves.
Though the healed man admits he doesn’t know much, he must have at least concluded that his miracle working friend was someone worth following. When the Jews continue to interrogate him about what happened he seems to get a bit irked. I think he could see that they were not at all open to what he had to say or even to the facts that were so obvious. Nonetheless he was willing to give them another chance. “Do you want to be his followers as well?”
It seems the Pharisees couldn’t just let the matter rest. Though they admitted they didn’t know who Jesus was, they weren’t willing to consider something outside their preconceived assumptions. Yet they were all in a frenzy to settle the matter. They had to. After all they were the teachers of the day and there couldn’t be anything they did not know or weren’t able to figure out. “You’re this lawbreaker’s disciple. Our discipleship stems all the way back to the Law with the great man Moses as our master. We know who we are! And you can be sure that since we don’t know who this other fellow is, he’s nobody worth following.”
The gentleman can’t believe this! Something simply doesn’t line up here! Staring at them in total amazement, he wonders if getting his eyesight is now making his hearing go bad. “You guys are telling me you don’t know where this fellow is from, and yet he has given me sight! I must say this is quite amazing! Why, in all of history there has never been an account of someone born blind, getting his sight! There can only be one explanation; this man could do nothing of the likes if he doesn’t come from God.”
He must have still been in a daze when with clenched fists they shrieked; ‘You were steeped in sin from birth. How dare you lecture us? Being so adamantly sure they knew this fellow was no one they wanted to associate with, they expelled him from their midst.
Again, I wonder what must have filled the gentleman’s mind. “Did I get healed just to be condemned? Whatever have I done wrong? Did I make a wrong conclusion? Everybody seems to think I did. I sure wish I knew.”
Consistent with his character, Jesus in compassion finds the outcast and offers him even better eyesight. Tears filling His eyes He comforts the poor fellow, “It’s ok. I understand.” With the nervous eyes of the Pharisees watching his every move, Jesus questions the broken-hearted man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
A bit timid and stammering he replies, “Who, who is he, sir? Please tell me so that I can believe.”
“Sir, your vision is serving you right. It is he whom you had seen and the person now talking to you.”
Falling to the ground he adores his Master. “Lord I believe!” Not only has he received his sight but he now has found his rightful Master. Never before has he felt so at rest! In the background he can hear and see the crowd still arguing and the Pharisees becoming more and more infuriated. They still had not settled this very important matter and they would not be at rest until they had.
I said at the beginning that my observation of people makes me conclude that we are all in a battle. We want to know without a doubt what is right. Is that not what was happening in this account? We sometimes wish for such a sign as these people had.
The lessons to be learned from this story are several at the least.
His humility also allowed him to see the simple facts which the Pharisees in their self-righteousness were blind to. They had their preconceived ideas and boldly concluded that anything outside of that was heresy. It seems the Pharisees had to pass a judgment on this situation. After all, they were the ones who knew the law and interpreted it to everyone and if someone didn’t fit into that, he must be brought to court. The beauty of the humble heart is that it is able to simply look at the facts and accept them. Being able to do that places such a heart in the position where further light can shine in while the arrogant heart having the same facts cannot “see” them and is only further darkened just as Jesus explains in the last verses of the chapter.
Another lesson to learn may just be another aspect of humility, and that is that we need to keep in mind that we are human. The Pharisees in this story and in other accounts as well seemed to think they had the whole picture. They had created for themselves their own world with a large system of laws, and by their talk and actions seemed smugly satisfied that they had left nothing out. Don’t we tend to do or at least think the same way? I do. I like to think I have it put together. There surely can’t be any major facts that I have missed. But when we are truly humble we recognize that our perspective is very limited.
Should we then not be too sure of anything and always be changing our view to fit whatever suits our fancy or appears to be right? No! There is a great chasm of difference between being “tossed to and fro” by “every wind of doctrine” that seems best at any given time, and a serious reconsideration of our beliefs and how the facts fit in. True humility recognizes that there are some facts that never change and yet those facts have their own two legs to stand on and don’t need us to defend them. All we need to do is accept how they affect ‘me’ and pattern our lives by them.
In true humility, let us not be afraid to ask questions. The healed blind man knew he was limited in his understanding. His question in response to Jesus in verse 36 exposes his willingness to learn. Just as Jesus did two thousand years ago, he still loves to answer the cry of the person who knows he is small and needs a God-perspective.
Let’s remember that it is not really for us to know the answers to everything in life. Let’s face it; we don’t like to have things in our lives we aren’t sure about. We don’t like ‘unknowns’. We are a lot more comfortable when all is under control and makes sense to us. I don’t believe God ever promised that everything will make sense to us. In fact, when we are willing to accept that we aren’t able to explain everything, we will likely be in a better position to recognize God’s plan, than if we demand a rational explanation ahead of time. We can sing when we let God decide whether or not we are to know what he is doing. Patience in scripture is cheerful or hopeful endurance. Since God’s perspective is infinitely greater than ours, we likely would not be able to handle or understand His plan if He did tell it to us. We simply need the faith to know that there is an invisible but real world in which God is involving our lives, and patiently trust Him to be carefully creating something beautiful, of which our human vision sees only a microscopic view.
While this is not specifically stated here, at least one other time the Jews asked that Jesus would show them a sign proving who he was. It amazes me at how often the Pharisees saw miracles done before their eyes, and they still didn’t want to believe. And yet I probably would have been the same way. The Israelites traveling through the desert saw God’s power displayed a number of times, and yet time after time they set about worshiping other gods. If we are waiting for a sign from God, I would propose that if and when the sign does come we will very likely miss it, or deny it and explain it away. Jesus said it’s the wicked and adulterous generation that seeks for a sign. He also says that no sign will be given them, but what they already have (in my own words). Basically I think what Christ is saying is that if they aren’t willing to believe the things that are already clear, they won’t believe even if more proof is given. What I gather by this is that faith is so fundamental to the Christian life. It is faith that will keep us following God whether we see obvious proofs of His existence or not. And the miracles that come along will only serve to confirm and strengthen our faith.
Let us also be content to let others have the last word. In the Kingdom of God, silence is often more powerful than words.
In the last few verses of the chapter Jesus explains what had just happened. It is those who know they are blind and desperately want healing to whom sight will be given. But those who claim to have sight will be made blind. Sadly, the Pharisees, because of stubbornly protecting their nearsighted vision, were not able to see the bright Light shining all around them.
He is my hope,
Jeryl Wadel