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Jesus said, "I am the light of the
world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have
the light of life." (John 8:12, NKJV)
A man born blind seldom has much of
a chance to see the world around him. This was even more
true of people born in the days when Jesus walked the earth.
Two thousand years ago, medicine was not even as far along as it
is today, and anyone born blind would likely remain that way for
life.
It is difficult enough for a blind
person today to make a good life for himself or herself.
Many occupations that might otherwise be open are not possible
for men and women who cannot see. Technology has made some
wonderful advances, so that many more things are now possible,
but still the opportunities are limited. How much more
difficult it was for a man born blind in the first century of
the Christian Era.
A blind man in those days could not
hope to earn a living for himself unless he was willing to beg.
Imagine what it must be like to make your way through crowded
streets to a spot where you could effectively beg for money with
being stepped on. You needed to choose a bust street,
since you would never make anything on a street or alley that
had no traffic.
Jesus and His followers passed by
such a man, a man born blind, one day as they walked near the
temple in Jerusalem. The disciples of Jesus asked about
the man, wondering who had sinned to cause his blindness (see
the whole story in John, chapter 9). Religion taught that
blindness and other physical defects or illnesses were the
punishment for sins. Jesus' followers wanted to know if
the man had sinned or if his parents had sinned, causing him to
be born blind.
The Lord Jesus explained that the
man's blindness did not result from sin, but that it existed in
order demonstrate God's power and working in the man's life.
And then Jesus proceeded to heal the man, using mud made with
common dirt and spit. He put the mud on the man's eyes and
then told him to go wash it off in the pool of Siloam. As
the man rinsed the mud from his eyes, he was able to see for the
first time in his life.
That's when the trouble started.
Religious and political leaders in those days were no different
than they are today. When news of the miracle reached the
men in charge of religious and social order, they looked right
past the obvious wonder and focused, instead, on what they
perceived to be an infraction of a religious law. Jesus
had healed the man on a Sabbath day.
Today, the world is as it has always
been. Men and women live in self-imposed darkness,
ignoring the goodness and kindness of God, refusing to see the
blessings and the free offer of eternal life extended to all.
Instead, we argue with God, insisting that life and truth and
even God Himself must fit into the box of our own understanding.
Unfortunately, the box of human understanding is so small that
not even the tiny atom can be crammed into it, much less God or
truth or life.
Jesus still opens blinded eyes,
however. He is the light of the world. And whoever
has their eyes opened can count on being accused of fraud, right
along with eh Lord Jesus. The man healed by Jesus two
thousand years ago was brought before the religious leaders and
questioned about the incident. He testified to the truth:
"One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."
Jesus opens blinded eyes.
Jesus brings into our lives the pure and rich light of God,
making all things clearly visible for the first time.
Jesus gives us light for the journey ahead. He is the
light of the world, and all who follow Him will not walk in
darkness. In fact, all who follow Jesus will also appear
as lights in a dark, dark world, because they testify to the
power and love of God always at work in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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personal witness, for church programs, and other Christian
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