Divided

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

DIVIDED

John 9:6-16

6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." 10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. 11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." 12 "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.

NIV

The division begins because of the work of God. One of the gifts of the Spirit is healing. Of course, Jesus is God and he has all the gifts available to him including healing which he always does whenever he wants to or is asked to. In this particular case, it was to show the reason this man was blind, so that he would be healed by the work of God. This would demonstrate the power of God over all the universe or all of creation which includes mankind. The point is the blind man who had eyes which had never seen before, being born blind, were made to see. This may be seen as a restoring of sight, but his eyes had never seen, so maybe it could be more like a recreation of his eyes. But the point we think is in need of exploring is this division among the Jews. Because Jesus “worked” on the Sabbath, according to their interpretation of the Law of Moses, they could not see him as a man of God. While others had to believe he was because there is no way a sinner could do such a miracle of healing. This division over the work of God has been going on ever since. Healing is a work of God, as with all the gifts of God. Today because of the New Testament, the witness’s report of the life, death, resurrection, ascension and the sending of the Spirit, we have a record of many more of the gifts of God. This list is not all-inclusive for God is able to gift whatever he chooses to gift and maybe those which have been listed are just a small fraction of the gifts he would bestow on us. Nevertheless, the people of God have been divided over just the ones which are given to us throughout the New Testament as described as the Gifts of the Spirit. It might be good to list the ones which are given to us. In Roman 8 we have the gifts of prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing, leadership, governing, and mercy. From 1 Corinthians 12, the first list includes the message of wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation. In the same chapter, we have the gifts of, first the list of gifts given to the church, apostles, prophets, and teachers, then also workers of miracles, helps, administration, and tongues. From Ephesians 4 we have the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In all those letters God, through Paul, includes words about unity in the faith and all these gifts are from the same Spirit. The key for us is the fact that all the gifts are the work of God and are given as the Spirit sees fit. However, we, mankind have circumvented as the Spirit sees fit, as to how we see fit. We cherry-pick the gifts, thinking this one we will take and this one we will refuse. We are in no way united, or live in harmony, or are of one mind, having the unity in the faith. We have divided ourselves up into multiple denominations, writing out what we believe, rather than want God declares. An army will destroy itself and lose the battle if there is division among the ranks. It is difficult to understand how we think we all are right and that we are going to win the battle against the forces of evil when we are so divided.