Introduction
In this miniseries
on the miracles of Jesus in John's gospel, we come now to the sixth
miracle—in which Jesus heals a man born blind.
The Setting
This miracle took
place in Jerusalem, near the Pool of Siloam. Read 9:1,2. The
disciples ask this question because it reflected rabbinic theology.
The rabbis wrongly extrapolated the general principle that sickness
is a result of human rebellion against God (the Fall) to a rigid
casuistic system which attributed each and every sickness to specific
sins. In congenital cases like this one, some rabbis argued that the
cause was pre-natal sin by the fetus; others argued that the cause
was the mother's sin while pregnant.
Read 9:3. Jesus
rejects this explanation, and explains instead—not that God
caused this sickness—but that God's sovereign purpose included
both permitting this man's sickness and effecting his healing.
The Miracle
Read 9:4-7. Why
did Jesus heal the man in this way, instead of in his usual way
(instantaneous upon speaking the word)? The best explanation is that
he was again provoking a controversy with the Pharisee's concerning
their Sabbath laws. 9:14,16 tell us that Jesus healed the man on a
Sabbath. As we have seen earlier in this series, rabbinic teaching
perverted this humane Old Testament provision into a straight-jacket
catalogue of Blue Laws. In healing this man on the Sabbath, Jesus
violated four of their rules: plowing (spittle rolling on the
dirt), kneading (making the clay), anointing (putting
clay on the man's eyes), and of course healing (illegal unless
a life-threatening emergency).
Jesus hated the way man-made religion elevated ritual observance
over human need, and never hesitated to break its rules. Once again,
his actions precipitate a conflict over his identity . . .
The “Sign”
But there is more
going on here than a spectacular healing miracle that doubles as a
protest against unbiblical Blue Laws. Like all of the miracles in
John, this miracle not only helped a real person by meeting his real
physical need (blindness). It was also a "sign"
(sumeion)—an "attesting miracle," meaning that
its ultimate significance is not in the miracle itself, but in what
it reveals symbolically about Jesus' unique ability to meet
humanity's spiritual needs (Jn. 20:31). In other words, this
"sign" is a picture of the salvation that Jesus offers to
the world, including you and me. John makes the specific meaning of
this miracle clear.
John is careful to
tell us that Jesus performs this miracle “having said these
words” (9:6). What words? The words of 9:5—“While
I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The miracle
follows the claim in order to validate it. 9:5 echoes Jesus’
claim in 8:12 (read), spoken shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles
which lit huge lamps at the Temple to commemorate the pillar of fire
in the wilderness—signifying God’s presence and guidance.
Jesus is claiming to be the sole source (“I and I alone”)
of spiritual enlightenment to a spiritually blind humanity (contra
pantheism: “We already have the divine light; we’re just
ignorant of this”). In other words, Jesus' unique ability to
restore physical sight to a congenitally blind man both illustrates
and validates his claim to be the only One who can provide spiritual
revelation and understanding to a spiritually blind humanity.
But although Jesus
graciously grants all of us access to his spiritual light, this does
not automatically enlighten us. Jn. 8:12 tells us it is our
response to this light that determines its effect on our
lives. Like the sun that softens butter but hardens mud, so Jesus
is the light who has radically different effect on our lives
depending on how we respond to him. Light received results in
more sight; light rejected (exposes and) results in greater
blindness. The rest of chapter 9 illustrates this principle
positively in the man and negatively in the Pharisees.
As I read the narrative, look for this (read 9:8-41) . . .
Light rejected results in
greater blindness: The Pharisees
This healing was
unique in Israel’s history, and the Old Testament prophets
predicted that this kind of healing would herald the Messiah (cf.
Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). As leaders of the synagogue, the
Pharisees had a responsibility to investigate such claims carefully
and fairly for the spiritual welfare of the people. But this is not
a fair appraisal. They were unwilling to re-examine their Sabbath or
and their view of Jesus. Instead, they expose and increase their
spiritual blindness by suppressing the light.
First, they try to
claim that the man wasn't healed (9:18a): “You were never
really blind.”
When his parents
testify that he was in fact blind from birth (9:18b-23), they posit
another explanation (implied from 9:24): “Someone else other
than Jesus must have healed you.”
When the man
reiterates his testimony (9:25-27a), they revile him (9:27b-29):
“You're too ignorant to know what you're talking about.”
When that doesn't
intimidate the man into withdrawing his testimony (9:30-33), they get
rid of him (9:34): “You’re a big-time pre-natal sinner—we
excommunicate you!”
To the very end,
they insist they see clearly, but Jesus disagrees (9:40,41).
Claiming to see, they have become spiritually blind, and they are
morally culpable for their own blindness.
This passage
teaches us an important lesson about the relationship between faith
and evidence. We often think that if God gives us enough of the
right kind of evidence, our faith will follow naturally and
inevitably. But this passage clearly disagrees. Evidence is
important (contra BLIND FAITH), but it is not the final and
decisive issue. Both parties got the same abundance of evidence—yet
they responded in totally different ways. Why? Because the main
obstacle to faith in Jesus is not insufficient evidence, but rather
unwillingness to bow to God.
When it comes to
the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ, no one is completely neutral
in his perspective. We all have a bias—a “grid”
through which we interpret the evidence. If you are biased against
bowing to God, you will interpret the evidence accordingly and find
it (however irrationally) unpersuasive. If you are biased toward
bowing to God, you will find the evidence sufficient.
This bias is not
something culturally or sociologically determined; it is something
you choose, something you can change, and therefore
something for which you are morally responsible. That’s
why Jesus says Jn. 7:17 (read). We would reverse the order of
his statement (rephrase), but his order is correct. If God exists,
we should be willing in principle to bow to him and submit our lives
to him. It is immoral not to choose this bias, and our unwillingness
to do so will both expose our blindness and increase it.
As a tragic
example of this principle, consider this death-bed interview of
existentialist Jean Paul Sartre in 1974.
INTERVIEWER: How
did your atheism begin?
SARTRE: . . . I
don’t know where the thought came from or how it struck me, yet
all at once I said to myself, "But God doesn’t
exist!" . . . I remember very well, it was
on that day and in the form of a momentary intuition, that I said to
myself "God doesn’t exist." It's striking to reflect
that I thought this at the age of eleven and that I never seriously
asked myself the question again until today, that is to say for sixty
years. (Did he become an atheist based on objective evidence?)
SARTRE: . . . Even
if one does not believe in God, there are elements of the idea of God
that remain in us and that cause us to see the world with some divine
aspects.
INTERVIEWER: What,
for example?
SARTRE: . . . As
for me, I don't see myself as so much dust in the world (the
inevitable conclusion of atheism), but as a being that was
expected, prefigured, called forth. In short, as a being that could,
it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand
that created me refers me back to God . . . (This
idea) contradicts many of my other ideas; but it is there, floating
vaguely. And when I think of myself I often think rather in this
way, for want of being able to think otherwise. (This is a HUGE
contradiction!)
INTERVIEWER:
(Then) what is the benefit to you of not believing in God?
SARTRE: It has
strengthened my freedom and made it sounder: at the present time this
freedom is not there to give God what he asks me for; it is there for
the discovery of myself and to give me what I ask of myself. That is
essential . . . This life owes nothing to God; it
was what I wanted it to be . . .
(Here is the BIAS, the “GRID.”)
What about you? Are you willing to tell God that you are
in principle willing to bow to him and his will for your life? If
not, no amount of evidence will convince you. But if you are
willing, he will give you all the evidence you need to entrust
yourself to Jesus—just like he did for this man . . .
Light received results in
more sight: The man born blind
First, he responds
to Jesus' Word . . . and receives his physical sight
(9:7). But this is only the beginning, because as we saw, this
healing is a picture of a far greater healing . . .
Next, he stands by
his testimony that Jesus healed him (9:25: “I don't know about
him being a sinner, but I know he healed my sight;” 9:27: “Why
are you trying to discredit this?”) . . .
. . .
And as a result, he receives increasing spiritual insight into who
Jesus is (9:11: “the man;” 9:17: “a prophet;”
9:32,33: God's unique servant). And notice how Jesus seeks him out
to give him the crucial light he needs (9:35: “Son of man;”
9:38: “Lord”/God to be worshipped). (Notice in 9:36 that
he is willing in principle to believe.)
Do you identify with this man? Over the past several
weeks, I have talked to many of you who have been traveling this same
path.
You have been
willing to admit your need for light from God, and to expose yourself
to the light by coming here week after week to hear God's Word. Many
of you have also talked with some Christians and heard their
testimony of how Jesus has changed their lives.
As a result, your
view of Jesus has begun to change (“Jesus is just one of many
ways” >> “I never realized his claims and his offer
of grace” >> “It sounds like this may be what I'm
looking for”).
You've come a lot
closer to Jesus, and that's great. But while this light increases
over a period of time, it leads to the crisis of decision.
Like this man, Jesus is asking you” Will you entrust yourself
to me as your Messiah and Lord?” When you do this, you'll get
even more light (assurance). And then as you follow Christ, you will
get ever more light (direction; purpose; illumination on every major
area of life). But don’t get the CART before the HORSE—make
the decision to entrust yourself to him.
The power of your
testimony
This passage also
applies to you if you have recently received Christ. You may feel
like you can’t bring others to Christ because you don’t
know very much Bible, you may not have much spiritual experience,
etc. But (like this man) you have the most powerful resource of
all—you have your testimony, your personal story of how you
came to Christ and how he has changed your life. Ask God to give you
opportunities to share your testimony to others, and allow him to
work through you to draw others to Christ!
Footnotes
Next Week: John 11:1-46 - Raising a Man from the Dead
Copyright 2004 Gary DeLashmutt