In the Gospel of John Chapter 9, we see a Heart of Jesus and greater ways.
First, the crowds asked Jesus about the man born blind--from birth. They wanted to know who's fault it was that he was born blind.
Jesus was not interested in placing blame. He was interested in healing the man, who had not even asked for healing!
"6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." (John 9:6-7)
First, the crowds asked Jesus about the man born blind--from birth. They wanted to know who's fault it was that he was born blind.
Jesus was not interested in placing blame. He was interested in healing the man, who had not even asked for healing!
"6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." (John 9:6-7)
Jesus healed a man who didn't know who he was. The blind man simply received,
and did not prevent this man, whom we know as our savior, from healing him.
When the Pharisees asked about what happened, here's what he had to say:
"11He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. 12Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not." (John 9:11-12)
Just because the man, who had been blamed since birth, did not know who Jesus is, it did not stop Him from healing the blind man.
Then, just like the woman at the well in John 4, the formerly blind man identifies Jesus as a prophet:
"17They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet." (John 9:17)
This revelation divided the Pharisees. They were so caught up in their little rules, more interested in ascertaining whether Jesus was a sinner, a saint, a good man, a bad man, etc. Such a waste of time.
They have before them a man who had been BORN blind, and now he can see!
How can they not rejoice?!
They kept wanting to downplay the miracle, so they brought in the man's parents:
"19And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? 20His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: 21But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself." (John 9: 19-21)
The parents did know that Jesus healed their son, but they feared being expelled from the synagogue, which basically ensured poverty and great loss for them.
The Pharisees would press him again to tell them about Jesus, and he could only repeat what he knew, and then inquired if they wanted to be Jesus' disciple. The religious leaders reviled the formerly blind man and cast him out.
Terrible. A man blind from birth is questioned, hectored, and then shamed, denounced, abandoned by his own parents--and then cast out of the synagogue.
Yet Jesus came to Him again--even though this formerly blind beggar did not know who He was:
Jesus' heart for us is to heal us, and to restore us when the world reject us!
What a loving Savior we have!
When the Pharisees asked about what happened, here's what he had to say:
"11He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. 12Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not." (John 9:11-12)
Just because the man, who had been blamed since birth, did not know who Jesus is, it did not stop Him from healing the blind man.
Then, just like the woman at the well in John 4, the formerly blind man identifies Jesus as a prophet:
"17They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet." (John 9:17)
This revelation divided the Pharisees. They were so caught up in their little rules, more interested in ascertaining whether Jesus was a sinner, a saint, a good man, a bad man, etc. Such a waste of time.
They have before them a man who had been BORN blind, and now he can see!
How can they not rejoice?!
They kept wanting to downplay the miracle, so they brought in the man's parents:
"19And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? 20His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: 21But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself." (John 9: 19-21)
The parents did know that Jesus healed their son, but they feared being expelled from the synagogue, which basically ensured poverty and great loss for them.
The Pharisees would press him again to tell them about Jesus, and he could only repeat what he knew, and then inquired if they wanted to be Jesus' disciple. The religious leaders reviled the formerly blind man and cast him out.
Terrible. A man blind from birth is questioned, hectored, and then shamed, denounced, abandoned by his own parents--and then cast out of the synagogue.
Yet Jesus came to Him again--even though this formerly blind beggar did not know who He was:
"35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had
found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36He answered
and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37And Jesus said unto
him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38And he
said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him." (John 9: 35-38)
Jesus' heart for us is to heal us, and to restore us when the world reject us!
What a loving Savior we have!
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