Continuing in John chapter 9: I absolutely love the responses of the man who was healed after he washed off the mud Jesus made with spit from his eyes. He had attested that he was indeed the man who was healed - not a look-alike. Then he was asked by the people he was with, "Then how were your eyes opened? And he gave a clear, concise answer: "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight."
Instead of being ebulliently grateful and praising God for the miracle, their reaction to that proclamation was to take him to the Pharisees. After all it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud! That was 'work' and work was forbidden. So, he had to repeat himself to the inquiries of the Pharisees: "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees declared Jesus was not from God 'because he does not keep the Sabbath'. Others queried how a man who is a sinner could do such things. And they were divided. So they asked the healed man's opinion and he replied, "He is a prophet."
The Jews next interrogation was for the man's parents, because they did not believe him that he had been blind and could now see. The parents admitted he was their son, but they deferred to him for his answer because they were afraid of being ostracized from the Synagogue. And that was a big deal!
So, a second time they called in the man and basically asked him to lie by declaring Jesus was a sinner. I LOVE his answer. His boldness in the face of their interrogation is inspiring! Verse 25 tells us what he said, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see."
And as they continued to press him for the answer they wanted, He says, (vs30ff): "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." And they threw him out of the synagogue. Wow! What a response! I look forward to meeting this guy in heaven! What a stellar testimony.
Once I was blind but now I can see! It is the basis for every believer's spiritual journey story.
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