Monday 31 July 2023

Background

Across this chapter, the Pharisees' (religious leaders) behaviour is challenging, often petty and sometimes seemingly all-out desperate. The reference in v. 14 to the Sabbath is important. The Pharisees' interest in the miracle Jesus is performing comes about because of their interest in the law Jesus apparently breaks, by working on the Sabbath. Their focus is not on the person of Jesus, more the keeping of their legal traditions.

In response to the amazing miracle of the blind man’s sight being restored, the Pharisees attempt to prove that the man had been lying about his blindness! (vs 18-19) Belief is seemingly beyond the Pharisees, they want facts, and answers to the question ‘how’.

Jesus’ miraculous healing of this man is one of many healings that are recorded in the gospels, which are the books in the Bible that most directly tell us something of Jesus' life and ministry. What differentiates this healing from many others is this: the most common trigger for a healing, as shared in the gospels, is a spoken word from Jesus in response to an encounter with a person where faith, or the possibility of faith is noted. In the healing of this blind man, however, Jesus doesn’t only speak a word. Rather, he puts dirt (verse 15), after mixing it using spittle, on to the man’s eyes and then tells the blind man to wash off with water.

Jesus use of ‘materials’, might help us wrestle with questions that linger around prayers for a miraculous healing (often meant in a way that is beyond medical explanation) while not recognising that Jesus also answers our prayers when he uses medics, medicines and other scientific and technological breakthroughs to bring about healing, just as he used spittle, mud and water in the story we are studying today.

The fact of the miracle has been retold three times, v. 11, v. 15, vs 20-21; but the point of the story is that faith in Jesus doesn’t rely on fact, but on who Jesus is. That is, the light of the world (9:5) giving sight (9:7), potentially to all people, including you.

To Ponder:

• In what ways might Jesus ‘using’ material elements be helpful for you as you ask questions of life?
•  Could, knowing that there is not only ‘one’ way in which Jesus acts in the world, soften your consideration of God being of some importance to you? 

Prayer

God for all, we thank you that we don’t always need to understand how, but that we can find ways to be encouraged by your light, seeking, and seeing that which is transformational. Amen.