The Blind Can See

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE BLIND CAN SEE

John 9:1-5

9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ,

NIV

There is more to follow regarding Jesus healing this blind man. There is going to be much questioning and doubting and accusing, but for now, we should focus on the first question from his disciples and the response by Jesus. It was an immediate thought of his disciples that because a man who was blind from birth, it was a result of sin. That is sort of a self-righteous position to think, it would seem they came to the conclusion because they were born with sight, they had no sin. Jesus sets the record straight right away by telling them the man’s blindness was not a result of sin. Jesus continues to explain the reason for this man’s blindness was so the work of God might be displayed in his life. There could be a couple ways we could ponder about this reason this man was born blind. The first would be to start thinking that every person who is born with some sort of abnormal condition, was born like that so the work of God might be shown in their lives. That would then bring us to the conclusion they could and have to be healed to reveal the work of God. It does not appear that it is happening. So then maybe the second avenue of thought would be more accurate. This is we are all born blind so the work of God can be displayed in our lives. We all are born unable to see the spiritual realm or without seeing, in effect blind, to Jesus. We all are born in the dark, and in need of the light of the world, Jesus. But we cannot see him until the work of God becomes displayed in our lives. He sends the Holy Spirit to awaken us, to shed the light into our lives, to give us sight. It is true that when we are born as an infant we do have the original sin in us, at least that is what God declares, but how much, if any, personal sin can an infant have. However as we go up in the dark, we find all sorts of ways to sin and we continue to live in darkness, unable to see, blind to the truth of God. Jesus has given us his light, he has healed our blindness, and we can see the truth now. One of those truths is in the words of Jesus about as long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent him. The night is coming when no one can work. This bears the idea of our life, being the day and our death being the night. Jesus made that clear when he said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He was not going to remain in the world, but return to heaven, and he told us we should now be the light of the world. Yet it still remains the work of the Spirit to convict people of their sin and need of repentance. We can share the light, we can work in concert with the Spirit, as he convicts, we can give sight to the blind by revealing the light to them. Then the blind can see.