Displaying The Works of God

The Critics & the Defender of Jesus

John 9, the journey of a man born blind, never able to see, and the question arises from Jesus' disciples, whose fault was the blindness, the man's or his parents'. Jesus's answer is eye-opening and no pun intended.

It's common for people to ask why whenever suffering arises. Sometimes, religious people will blame it on sin. Those prone to question God's existence will say things like, How can God allow so much suffering? My dear readers, where do you stand on the topic of suffering, such as a child born blind or some such handicap that can be exceedingly heartbreaking?

Displaying The Works Of God

John chapter 8 concluded in this way, "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Therefore, they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple." We must always keep in mind that Jesus never ran from trouble. He could have destroyed those who despised Him out of envy at any moment, but death at their hands was set for a precise time, to reveal His sacrificial death to the world. Under the preceding circumstances, from those desiring Jesus' death we read in Chapter 9, "As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" Jesus answered, "[It was] neither [that] this man sinned, nor his parents; but [it was] so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ..."While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came [back] seeing." (9:1-3, 5-7)

Displaying The Works Of God And Defending Jesus or Not

When the blind man returned, seeing, the people who knew him began asking if he was the blind man. Of course, there was disagreement: some said no, others yes; he was blind. Right from the outset, the blind man never tried to avoid the debate but spoke out plainly that he was indeed the man born blind. The question that followed was how the man received his sight. He spoke plainly again: it was Jesus. Jesus was a widely known name, as it was the redeemer's name prophesied by the prophets as the one to come. The name Jesus, when broken down, means Yehovah is Savior.

When the religious leaders arrived, being the legalists that they were, they jumped right on the Sabbath, as if doing good and healing would be a violation. They didn't believe the man until the parents showed up and verified that he was indeed their son, who was born blind. They, however, avoided saying too much out of fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, which could be very detrimental to a person's livelihood. In any leadership, there is always the temptation to turn serving into an abuse of power. Unlike their son, his parents were afraid of the Jews; we are told this in verses 22 and 23. "His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. For this reason, his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

Defending The Works of God and Condemning So-called Followers of Moses

When the religious leaders had no way to contradict the parents' testimony about their son, they doubled down on the healed man. However, the blind man got a little indignant at this point and told them they did not want to hear the truth in so many words. When you tell a proud man that he does not want to listen to the truth, you just made an enemy, and he did. Their response was excessively harsh, however untrue. "They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from." At this point, the healed man's response could not have been better. "The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and [yet] He opened my eyes. "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. "Since the beginning of time, it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." Religious leaders always reveal the insincerity of their hearts when they denigrate others' hearts while elevating their own personal position, at least in their own eyes. "They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they put him out." The only good and authentic leader is the person who has seen the depths of their own sinful heart as one born in Adam's fallen race, never the one who understands another who is not a religious leader as themselves, as born entirely in sins, as if they were not. At this point in their one-sided interrogation, they put the healed blind men out of the synagogue. The best thing they could have done for him.

Defending The Works Of God and Worshipping the Son of Man

The most heartwarming part of the story is when Jesus, upon hearing that the man He had healed had been put out of the synagogue, found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The designation "Son of Man" as the One prophesied to come to Israel is used 425 times in the NASB and 94 times in Ezekiel. When the name is used in Ezekiel, it primarily speaks of God condemning unbelief and the failure to repent of sin and to worship God as He commands. In our text, the healed man responded to Jesus, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him." All the healed man wanted was to know who the Son of Man was, so that he might believe in Him. Jesus said to the man that he was no longer blind to who the Son of Man was. The proof that the healed man could see with spiritual eyes was his worship of Jesus. The evidence of the leader's sinfulness was their pride in their so-called sight.

My dear readers, Defending the Works of God is what Christians are called to do. Self-sacrifice is the way of the cross, a love for Christ, and a testimony to the world, whether they receive it or not.