Subscription Lists
Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We are reading and studying the details of that man born blind having his eyes healed and opened by Jesus Christ in a most amazing way. Jesus makes a little clay ointment by using mud and spittle and he anoints these eyes that have never seen. Sometimes Jesus uses ointment and sometimes He doesn’t. Jesus is flexible.
In John Chapter 9 and at verse 26, the Pharisees who have been so dismissive and argumentative and threatening and insulting, still want to focus on the methods.
What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes and allow you to see?
He had told them everything but they would not listen. When he perhaps said one sentence too much the Pharisees were really annoyed. Verse 28. You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses but as for this fellow we do not even know where he comes from.
Verse 30. You do not know? Now, that is remarkable. You do not know where he has come from and yet he has opened my eyes.
At this point, this man who had co-operated with Jesus Christ moves into greater light, and the Pharisees appear to move into greater darkness.
This is a dramatic conversation.
Jerusalem is buzzing at this time all over this man Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of God, our Saviour and Lord. When Jesus is moving the place can be ‘buzzing’.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will. The man who was blind is little bit confused in his theology but none of us gets everything all sorted out right away.
Some of us never get it all sorted out, and we know we never will, because our almighty gracious loving God is too far big for our tiny minds to grasp everything about Him, and that is wonderful. We can be serving God all our lives and learning new lessons daily if we are open to His Word and to the moving and flowing and guidance and the Holy Spirit. This is what makes it all so exciting and thrilling to be a Christian.
If this man were not from God he could not do what he is doing, comments the dear man who had been born blind.
When I came out this morning I was blind – now I am able to see. That has to be from God. This cost him. The facts are moving and remarkable and painful.
Verse 35. News reached Jesus and Jesus went and found the man. Here we see the love of God and compassion and concern of Jesus Christ. I am so glad that Jesus Christ goes looking for people. Our God is a God Who comes to us because He truly cares.
“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Who is he that I might believe? He had never seen Jesus before and he apparently did not recognise the voice. You have now seen him. He is talking with you. And the man who had been blind fell down and worshipped him. This is real health. This is wholeness.
It has been some day for this man. He had been thrown out of the house of prayer but this more than compensates.
Remember, that Jesus is always interested in more than physical healing. Jesus always wants to take us further.
Verse 39. Jesus speaks about judgement – that the blind will see and that those who see will become blind.
Every man is born spiritually blind, but God sent Jesus Christ with light – mental light – and moral light – and physical light – and spiritual light. After all, Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and that affects every area.
The same light of Jesus Christ that enables some to see can turn others blind. That is so strange but true.
In some meetings the light and love of Jesus Christ can be shining and you receive all that God has for you, and it is possible that some may leave blinded, or angry and annoyed.
It is the situation I have previously referred to speaking of the brilliant beam from the car on a dark night. It can blind you (momentarily) or it can let you see. It all depends in which direction you are travelling – against the light or with the light.
Verse 40. Some Pharisees challenged Jesus again. These opponent of Jesus Christ never give up. Are you saying that we cannot see?
Jesus answer is devastating. It is not that you cannot see. You won’t see – and that is even more tragic.
Some people just will not see. There are people who just refuse to see, and they remain guilty and condemned and separated from Jesus and His Love.
It is a powerful passage. Imagine John recounting this incident in Ephesus.
Is it not significant the immediately after all this, John goes on to record that Jesus taught about being the gate and the door – the sheepfold and the shepherd and being safe and secure – and protected from robbers and wolves. There were many around then and there are many around today.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Word from Scotland" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.