Living in the Image of God M02S14
A man born blind and given sight by Jesus was motivated by appreciation to tell his story. He told his neighbors and other relations: that Jesus gave him sight, by soiling his eyes and directing him to wash in a pool. He knew the facts but was yet to understand what they meant regarding Jesus. He will understand better subsequently, as his story developed into a mission to tell others about Jesus. Thus, he was propelled by appreciation onto a gospel mission.
We discuss the testimony of a man born blind based on bible accounts of his interactions with others after he received sight through an encounter with Jesus (John 9:1–34). In appreciation for receiving sight, he was motivated to tell his story. As we discuss in a previous study under Human Relationship with God Regarding Work, telling his story became a Gospel mission that he discovered incrementally as he interacted with others.
First, he testified to his neighbors and other relations. Subsequently, his neighbors took him to the Pharisees, also known as the Teachers of the Law, and he gave testimonies in several interactions with them. His audience grew as he testified to different groups. Also, he showed better understanding of his message as he interacted more with others regarding his healing.
The man was blind from birth but received sight during this encounter with Jesus. Several events that occurred following the healing led him incrementally to a mission to proclaim Jesus is the Messiah. His appreciation for receiving sight motivated him to tell his story and propelled him to the mission. He told the story several times: more boldly and with greater clarity each time.
We will present the study in two parts. In the current session, we discuss Christ explanation of God’s purpose for the man’s blindness and the man receiving sight and testifying about the healing to his neighbors and other relations.
God’s Purpose for Man Born Blind
Jesus encountered a man that was blind from birth. His disciples were perplexed that this man was born blind and inquired about the meaning from Jesus [John 9:2]: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus explained that the man’s blindness was to serve a positive purpose. His blindness was not a punishment for sin. Rather, he was born blind to become a vehicle for understanding the work of God: “‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’” [John 9:3].
Man on a Mission
The man was blind from birth but would receive sight during this encounter with Jesus. Several events that occurred following the healing led him incrementally to a special mission. His mission was to proclaim Jesus is the Messiah. His appreciation for receiving sight motivated him to tell his story and led him incrementally to his Gospel mission. He told the story several times: more boldly and with greater clarity each time.
The Healing: Man Born Blind Sees
After explaining the purpose of the blindness to his disciples, Jesus rubbed mud on the blind man’s eyes and instructed him to go and wash in a pool. That is, he did something himself that established a task for the man and instructed him to go and perform the task. He soiled the man’s face and tasked him with going to wash the mud from his face and blindness from his eyes to get started on his mission: “‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’” [John 9:7]. The man obeyed. He washed in the pool and began to see.
Testimony to Neighbors
The man’s neighbors and other relations saw him and wanted to know what had happened to him. They wondered if he was really the same blind beggar they knew. What happened to him? How did he begin to see? John 9:8–9: “His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, ‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’ Some claimed that he was. Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’”
The man confirmed he was the same person they knew that used to be blind. He described his encounter with Jesus accurately. But he didn’t try to explain the experience [John 9:11–12]: “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.’ ‘Where is this man?’ they asked him. ‘I don’t know,’ he said.”
The man was happy that he now could see. The person he described as “the man they call Jesus” did something to open his eyes so he could see. However, he did not understand what the healing meant regarding Jesus. For now, he was satisfied with just knowing the facts. However, subsequent events will show he understood Jesus better as he talked to more people about the healing.
Summary of What We Learned
A man born blind and given sight by Jesus was motivated by appreciation to tell his story. He told his neighbors and other relations: that Jesus gave him sight, by soiling his eyes and directing him to wash in a pool.
He knew the facts but was yet to understand what they meant regarding Jesus. He will understand better subsequently, as his story developed into a mission to tell others about Jesus. Thus, he was propelled by appreciation onto a gospel mission.