"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!" (john 9:1-7)
When I read this passage, I always think about how the blind man felt. He had lived his life not being able to see a thing, and all the sudden one day he could again. How would that feel? He didn't even see the man that had healed his eyesight until a few days later.
If I was the blind man, so many emotions would have been rushing through my head that day.
First, desperation- begging for food, desperate to eat.
then comes shame. the disciples automatically rush to blame someone, anyone for the man's blindness. they first go to the man himself, then to his parents. the blind man becomes a lesson for the disciples in who to lay the blame on in the situation. Jesus is quick to change the disciples' point of view- instead of laying the blame on the man or his parents, Jesus tells the disciples that the man is blind so that the power of God can be seen in him.
What does this mean? Does this mean that the reason I felt so sick for so long was so that the power of God can be seen through me? Is this why people with cancer die, so that the power of God can be seen? what if they're not Christian? how does this even work?
I have to say, i'm really not sure. I don't know why bad things happen. but what I do know, and maybe this sounds extremely naïve, is that I trust God enough for this to be true. I trust that God knows why things happen the way they do. As Marilyn Monroe said, "... and sometimes, good things fall apart so that better things come together." now, Marilyn wasn't a Christian, and that wasn't a religious quote, but she makes a lot of sense. Why do bad things happen to good people and good situations? so better things, better situations can happen. I don't have all the answers, but I do trust God.
after Jesus tells the disciples why the man is blind, he heals him. He makes mud with his spit and some dirt, and spreads the mud over the blind man's eyes. 3 observations about this:
1) Jesus must have had a lot of spit to make that much mud. seriously. think about it.
2) it was a good thing that man was blind. if he was deaf, and Jesus spit in the mud and started putting it in and on his ears, he probably would have freaked out, like who is this man and why is he putting his spit all over my ears?!
3) i wonder if the man's eyes were open. like was Jesus' spit-mud all over his open eye balls? how nasty is that?
whatever the case, the blind man was then sent (if you go back up to the scripture at the top of the post you'll realize my pun ;) ) to the pool of siloam to wash his face. if he had mud on his eyeballs, this probably would have been the best part of his day. seriously. some man's spit on your eyeballs... getting to wash it out would be sweet. but washing off the mud and realizing you can see? WAY better.
I want to have faith in Jesus that bad things happen to me to reveal God's power. God, you are good. all the time.
-c
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