Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 9: 1-12

Rachel Klooster & Billy Heschl

Transcript

Rachel Klooster  0:06  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Tuesday, February 10. We are putting the spotlight on Jesus, and with the Apostle John as our guide. This is Billy Heschl reading for Rachel Klooster. Today’s reading is from John 9: 1-12 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind.

Rachel Klooster  0:28  

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

Rachel Klooster 1:43  

This is a great story of Jesus healing a blind man with some mud. It’s hard to imagine in our world of instant news, cameras everywhere and instant recognition due to our online presence, that people would question someone’s identity. This blind man’s neighbors didn’t recognize him after he was healed - even after he insisted he was the same person who they usually saw begging. But I guess this gave the man the opportunity to tell his story over and over and insist that, "Yes, this urban legend you are hearing was me!" The people’s assumptions about this guy was that either he or his parents committed some grievous sin, which caused him to be blind. Jesus quickly pushes these ideas aside and says that this happened so that you can see me perform a miracle. And then we get a taste of the town’s buzz. I think a subtext to their questions was: "is this the guy we thought did something super bad? And now he’s walking around with us like a regular person? Oh no, what do we do with him and his family now? We might have to change all our preconceived notions..." By this time it sounds like Jesus has moved on. He did his mic drop and disappeared. He was clear that this man’s physical condition was not a result of anything he did. Jesus gently tries to change people’s minds about how they were thinking about things. Jesus was transforming their thoughts and ideas about people around them, through his simple actions of caring for people.

Rachel Klooster  3:27  

Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for your gentleness with us, even as you are pushing us to new places. Help us to see people as you see them. Thank you for the story that helps us see ourselves in a different light. Give us wisdom and peace in our interactions with those around us in Jesus name, amen.