When Jesus was on this earth preaching the gospel, He performed many miracles and wonders: healing the blind, the deaf, and many others with physical infirmities. The people of the time saw Jesus’ miracles but they could not truly see who He was. They could not understand the origin of the power of His miracles. The Word that the Lord spoke to them carried power and was accompanied by miracles, clearly indicating that It is from heaven. Nevertheless, they could not accept It with an open heart, nor let It to take root, just as it was prophesized in the book of Isaiah, “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive” (Matthew 13:14).
In John 9, it records a miracle that initiated a conversation with the spiritually and physically blind. Before healing the blind, the Lord proclaimed, “I am the light of the world.” Therefore, regardless of whether we are willing to walk or abide in the light, God is willing to shine His light before us, and in our hearts. After healing the blind man, many people became curious of who cured him, as the blind man could now see. They asked him who healed him, and he answered, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” They asked him, “Where is this man?” and He answered, “I do not know.”
Right afterwards, this blind man was taken to the Pharisees because they believed that the Pharisees knew more about serving the Lord. Pharisees placed a lot of emphasis on following the law and the interpretation of the law according to the old Jewish traditions. They insisted that on the Sabbath Day, which is Saturday, one shall not do any work. Therefore, since Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, it was considered to be against the law, which meant to them that He was not from God. However, they still asked the blind man, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” The blind man answered, “He is a prophet.” This is the second time that the blind man answered this question; he went from knowing His name is Jesus to knowing that He is a prophet. Pharisees were made aware of how this man was born blind by his parents, but they had to confirm again with him whether this was truly a miracle. Nevertheless, they insisted that Jesus was a sinner because He did not follow the laws regarding Sabbath. They told the blind man a second time that Jesus was a sinner. The blind man then gave a strong testimony saying, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
The blind man not only received sight to see, he was also able to realize that Jesus indeed came from God. The blind man testified that Jesus opened his eyes, and therefore, He must be from God. If God listens to Him, it proves that Jesus is not a sinner, but rather He is “doing the will of God.”
The Bible records, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalms 66:18). In accordance with the prophecy in the Old Testament, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (Luke 4:18). Unfortunately, the Pharisees cast this blind man out of the temple because he acknowledged that Jesus is Christ.
Soon, Jesus heard that the Jews cast this blind man out and when they met again, He asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” He replied, “Lord, I believe!” and worshiped Him.
The blind man knew Jesus for who He is from first knowing His name, to admitting He is a prophet, to believing that He is from God. Lastly, he understood that Jesus is the Son of God, and then knelt down to worship Him. At this moment, Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
For those who are living 2000 years after this miracle, are we able “to see” the Lord, His great power, and the grace He is giving us? We are all concerned about our eyesight, as being able to see is essential to our life, and if our physical eyesight is deteriorating, we will know immediately and quickly go for a check-up to find and fix the issue. However, do we constantly check our spiritual eyesight, or do we neglect it?
Our current life is the same as others: studying, working, and resting on the weekends. We may rise up early, and come home late from being busy for our family and life. This is the lifestyle that we have, much like the sparrows constantly pecking for food.
God wants us to mount up with wings like eagles and enjoy the blessings that He has prepared for us. These blessings surpass the glories of this world, and are above all sorrows and worries. They are prepared for His children, but they cannot be seen by our fleshly eyes nor understood by human logic. God’s guidance and protection can allow His children to be full of wisdom in life; therefore, we should be reminded of the life of faith that God has prepared for us, and to constantly see the works of God. We should be reminded of His words and understand His will while waiting for His coming. We must walk out of the vanity and emptiness that is under the sun and be renewed in strength.
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