John Chapter 9 - The Works of God manifested

John 9:1-7 "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated Sent).  So he went and washed and came back seeing."

I have actually heard people teach that the work of God was in making and leaving this man blind.  The work of God is when Jesus healed the blind man!  Notice that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."  He said this exact same phrase when He forgave the woman caught in the midst of adultery in the previous chapter.  It shows that God's light brings both forgiveness for our sins and healing for our body.  Both forgiveness of sin and physical healing are paid for at the cross of Jesus.  It also shows that the free gift of righteousness and healing are linked together.

This blind man had to respond in faith to be healed.  Jesus made clay from dirt and His saliva and rubbed it on this man's eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam.  I once looked up what distance this would have been for this blind man to walk.  The best I could tell from maps was at least several hundred yards from the temple to the pool of Siloam.  This man would have to ask directions to make his way to the pool of Siloam.  When he did ask for directions, people would have asked him why he had clay rubbed in his eyes and why he wanted to go there.  Some people would have been laughing at him and making fun of him.  It would have taken great faith to act upon the words of Jesus.  But he did and he was healed.  Every time Jesus healed someone, He required them to act their faith.  Many people came to Jesus to be healed.  That is an action of faith.

Keith Oliver