The Man Born Blind

John chapter 9 is the story about a man who was blind from birth, healed by Jesus, and redeemed. As the story begins Jesus and His disciples pass by this man and take notice of him. The disciples ask Jesus about the man's blindness and question Him as to whether it was the result of his own sin, or the sin of his parents. Obviously, this was one of the more intriguing theological questions of the day. Apparently when someone was sick or lame, it was assumed by the masses that sin in their lives caused that infirmity to occur. In other words God got back at them for sinning. The disciples were merely stating a belief preached to them by their religious leaders (John 9:34). It is apparent just how much contempt people had for those who were lame because the disciples asked the question right in front of the man who was blind.

The blind man was probably begging for alms near a temple of worship when the disciples walked up to him. Most beggars of the time went over to the synagogues to attract the attention of worshipers. Worshipers obviously want to get on God’s good side and what better way to get God’s attention than to offer help to a needy person? Therefore, beggars sat outside the temple and petitioned alms from anyone who passed. It’s like saying to the worshipers, “God is watching so you better be kind if you want to get your prayers answered.”

I believe the blind man was in his 30’s and many times before religious leaders of the day debated the issue of his sin right in front of him. They made it clear that the man’s blindness was the result of sin so everyone who passed by him believed he must have sinned in order for this to happen. The blind man obviously believed this to be true also even if he did not know what sin it was that did him in.

This type of thinking breed’s a form of arrogance. As long as we see other people sick when we are well, and believe that their sickness is the result of sin, then we will see ourselves as “Holier then thou.” Job experienced this first hand as his three friends were intent on bringing Job to the point of admitting that he had done something wrong in the eyes of God. Job’s friends were not so concerned about Job’s welfare as much as they were concerned about their own. You see if they could not find sin in Job’s life that warranted this experience then what happened to Job could happen to them also. In the end God appears to Job and chastises his friends about their misunderstanding God’s true reasoning in allowing Job’s suffering to occur.

Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about the blind man follows the same answer God gave to Job. He says it was not his sin, or the sin of his parents, but that the works of God would be revealed. The works of God, what does that mean? All the commentators point to the fact that the man was healed and say that is the part where God’s work is manifested. Nevertheless, the word is “works” not work. The word “Works” in Greek indicates (employment, task) and refers to a process of work not necessarily a single act.

If healing the blind man gives God glory than why didn’t Jesus heal all the lame people He came in contact with? If healing the blind man displayed God’s compassion then the raising of Lazarus would have demonstrated God’s compassion as well, right? If that is true then why didn’t Jesus raise everyone in the graveyard where Lazarus’ body lay? Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). Then Lazarus came forth. If Jesus had said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth and God’s compassion would have been demonstrated all the more. The works that Jesus is referring to will be the culmination of the man’s life not an event on one day.

You see God’ s glory was not just in the man’s healing, but in the man’s life, blind or sight filled. Every time the blind man called on God for help he glorified God, and in effect, humiliated Satan. Satan probably approached the Lord to ask for permission to blind the man from birth. Satan probably said to God that the man would curse God and turn away from Him. There is no evidence the blind man ever cursed God, in fact the opposite appears to be true. Far more importantly however, is the fact of the blind man’s trust.

Jesus instructed the blind man to wash off the clay that Jesus put in his eyes (John 9:6,7). This blind man did not ask to be healed and had pretty much accepted his fate. He was sent to wash his eyes as a testimony of faith in the Lord’s work. The mere fact that the blind man was willing to go over to a pool and wash is an act of faith on his part. The man could have been bitter about his blindness and remained a beggar. Instead he follows the instructions of someone he did not know and believed in His words. Only a man of trust could do that.

Now we are beginning to see the works of God that Jesus was speaking about. This blind man trusted Jesus enough to go and wash his eyes so that he would be healed, yet the religious leaders rejected Jesus’ works and teachings (John 9:29). The blind man accepted his excommunication from the synagogue with little regret and became a follower of Jesus. The works of God that Jesus spoke about are clear from the change of the man. First, the blind man went from being blind and having little trust to following Jesus’ instructions and finally by worshiping Jesus (John 9:38).

The miracle that was performed in this man’s life extends far beyond receiving his sight. The works of God were manifested in the man receiving eternal life and becoming a disciple of Jesus.