Wednesday, January 25, 2012

spit and mud.

We're studying John this year with the Nav Bible studies, and last night with the sophomore ladies we talked about John 9.  In this chapter, Jesus heals a man born blind by spitting in the dirt and rubbing the mud on the man's eyes. He told the man to go wash in the pool of Siloam, and he did so and came back seeing.  There are so many components of this chapter that are really interesting to talk about (yet another miracle he performed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees' blindness in comparison to the man, Jesus' attention given to yet another person usually ignored by society), but my main take aways were from the things that the man did in response to Jesus.
First, I think it's really cool that Jesus gave the man a choice.  He could have snapped his fingers and healed the man right there, but instead he put the mud on his face and then told the man to do something in response, wash in the pool.  I can see a reflection of my personal relationship with Christ in this interaction.  Jesus is there, willing to do wondrous things in my life, but I have the choice to follow him or stay sitting where I am.  The man was blessed because of what Jesus did for him and because of his own willingness to trust Jesus and his plan.  Often, God blesses me even when I choose not to follow, which is indescribably good.  However, there is an irrefutable difference in my life from when I am walking with the Lord on a daily basis and when I am not.
Another aspect of this passage that I found challenging is towards the end of the chapter, an interaction between the man and Jesus.
JC: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
Man: "Who is he, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in him."
JC: You have now seen him, in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
Then, in verse 38, it says "Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him."
This formerly blind man saw the things Jesus did and heard who He was, and simple as that, he worshiped Him for it.  This just really challenged me to do the same in my life.  Mary pointed out at Bible study what it must have been like to see Jesus face to face and worship Him, and what it would be like in our next time of corporate worship if we imagined He was standing right there at the front of the room.  The reality is that He will be there, because He has promised that to us in Matthew 18:20- "Wherever two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I among them."
How exciting is that?

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