“A Christian is a person who has died with Christ, whose stiff neck has been broken, whose brazen forehead has been shattered, whose stony heart has been crushed, whose pride has been slain, and whose life is now mastered by Jesus Christ.”
–John Piper
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:15
It seems that the purpose of life is not to find our freedom. It’s really meant to find our Master.
Yes, the idea of being a slave to anyone is repugnant. We chafe at this, and yet man was never meant to be separated from the Lordship of Jesus. We’re instructed repeatedly with the New Testament idea that “our life is not our own” Over and over God proclaims Himself as the King.
That troubles us somewhat.
Not so much when life is fairly good, granted, but in those hard moments when a decision must be made between enjoying the titillating “lusts of the flesh,” or accepting the fruits of the Spirit. This is one of those “lordship moments.” They come and go, and they show us exactly who we are.
If you’re really going to be authentic–a legitimate and real disciple, then you must determine who is going to be in charge, and this isn’t one of those casual decisions. Your decision must become a settled issue.
You must securely fix it in your heart.
The thief on the cross knew salvation, he was promised an eternity with God simply by faith. But I submit to you that he had put himself under the Lordship of Jesus, simply by recognizing the sign, “the King of the Jews.” I believe he saw and understood its implications. Jesus was King! He knew and understood.
This is a very hard word for some, but so many of our personal issues hinge on this.
I know this first-hand. It is a monumental struggle. You must admit to not only having Jesus as your Savior, but you also must put your life under His total Lordship. You need to pick up your cross daily in order to follow. You need to learn how to kneel.
I’ve chosen a crown to open up this post–it’s done on purpose. I simply want you to understand the supreme call He has on your life. Here’s Bob Dylan, and he nails this idea down:
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You must learn here and now how to kneel before the Sovereign King.
“A Christian is not a person who believes in his head the teachings of the Bible. Satan believes in his head the teachings of the Bible! A Christian is a person who has died with Christ, whose stiff neck has been broken, whose brazen forehead has been shattered, whose stony heart has been crushed, whose pride has been slain, and whose life is now mastered by Jesus Christ.”
–John Piper
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:15
It seems that the purpose of life is not to find our freedom. It’s really meant to find our Master.
Yes, the idea of being a slave to anyone is repugnant. We chafe at this, and yet man was never meant to be separated from the Lordship of Jesus. We’re instructed repeatedly with the New Testament idea that “our life is not our own” Over and over God proclaims Himself as the King.
That troubles us somewhat.
Not so much when life is fairly good, granted, but in those hard moments when a decision must be made between enjoying the titillating “lusts of the flesh,” or accepting the fruits of the Spirit. This is one of those “lordship moments.” They come and go, and they show us exactly who we are.
If you’re really going to be authentic–a legitimate and real disciple, then you must determine who is going to be in charge, and this isn’t one of those casual decisions. Your decision must become a settled issue.
You must securely fix it in your heart.
The thief on the cross knew salvation, he was promised an eternity with God simply by faith. But I submit to you that he put himself under the Lordship of Jesus. He recognized the sign, “the King of the Jews.” I believe he saw and understood its implications. Jesus was King! He realized he was in the presence of royalty.
This is a very hard word for some, but so many of our personal issues hang on this.
I know this first-hand. It’s a monumental struggle at times. You must admit to not only having Jesus as your Savior, but you also must put your life under His total Lordship. You need to pick up your cross daily in order to follow.
I’ve chosen a crown to open up this post–it’s done on purpose. I simply want you to understand the supreme call He has on your life. Here’s Bob Dylan, and he nails this idea down:
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You must learn here and now how to kneel before the Sovereign King.
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.
5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
My name was Legion. I was called that by all who knew me–it was a name of repulsive darkness, horror and fear. I was possessed by demons; there were so many of them that I was given this terrible name– “Legion, 5000.” So much darkness. Wonderful, isn’t it? What little I know I will tell you now.
My days were filled with awful confusion and terror.
I ran naked among the tombs, and cut myself on the rocks. People had chained me but I found I had a demonic, super-human strength– I broke their iron bonds. I freed myself to run wild among the caves once again. No man could tame me. I was the central force of evil in this area. I was the boogeyman of the Gerasenes.
And I was completely insane.
I recall little through my times of darkness, and I suppose that was for the best. My madness permeated everything until I had become completely saturated with evil. I was controlled by demons.
Try to imagine the condensed insanity of a mental hospital crammed into one’s little mind.
That day I was on the Gerasenes’ “welcoming committee.” I ran to greet Jesus before he even got out of the boat. I remember falling at his feet. I knew instinctively who He was. He was Lord over my darkness. I suppose that deep down I knew that only He could free me.
The authority of Jesus enabled him to speak directly to my demons. I remember how they tried to negotiate their way out, and He calmly sent them into a herd of swine nearby. There were about 2000 pigs and my evil spirits left me and entered them. The pigs went berserk and then they destroyed themselves. They couldn’t handle all the evil that I had ‘bottled up’ inside me.
With Jesus’ firm and decisive command, the darkness immediately left me alone.
Suddenly I could no longer hear their vile words. I knew that I would no longer have to carry out the disgusting will of my demons. There were no voices in my head. I stood up as a free man for the first time in years. Jesus Christ had decisively intervened. I knew now that He was my Messiah and my deliverer! My liberator who was sent from God. Just for me.
Someone gave me a robe to cover up my nakedness. I sat at Jesus’ feet in wonder at what had just happened. It didn’t take long for the townspeople to arrive. They came and found me clothed and completely sane.
I suppose it was out of fear that they asked Jesus to leave the region immediately.
I only wish they understood.
When Jesus was getting into the boat I wanted to join Him. I simply had to be close. But Jesus told me no. He told me that I needed to go home to my family, and I must tell them everything. “Tell them all of the power and mercy I have had on you.” As I watched them sail away I knew that I wanted to do what He wanted.
I would now be Jesus’ ambassador to the Ten Towns. Once I was filled with incredible darkness, but now I carry the Light.
Everything that had happened to me and all that Jesus could do for them I would share. I was now His very visible witness. I shared about the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ over my incredible darkness. I was now a source of His light to my people. I had to witness.
My darkness was completely gone, and I couldn’t control my joy!
Lord Jesus, You completely rule the spiritual forces of darkness. Help me to remember this and assist me with my own dark issues. I want to be free from all that opposes You. I must tell others of what you’ve done for me. Amen.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 131
The Christian who is struggling should become a reader of the Psalms. We must remind ourself of this need to study through them, repeatedly. For believers, Psalm 131 is mandatory, and this is a great place to start.
This particular psalm is unique, and incredibly insightful. It begins its work in us right at the start; the superscription. “A song for going up to worship,” and it strikes me that a work must happen inside of my heart. It is a preparation that will take me higher, and it helps me see God more clearly from a new vantage point.
Verse 1 states the certain issue we have; it is called ‘pride.’ What David says seems to be a very arrogant and audacious thing to say. There is a truism that you think you’re humble, you’re not. To claim you are suddenly liberated from pride, knowing ears perk up. It is almost always a sign of danger.
😁
A church once decided to give an elder a medal for his remarkable humility. But then they had to take it away, because he wore it everywhere!
Take it at face value, David states that he has a real contentment with his limitations and weaknesses. It appears that he has been freed from the vicious cycle of needing to be the center of everything. He sings of his ignorance, and weakness. David goes public with his self-flattery. He knows that if he really wants to ascend he must descend.
And it must happen continuously.
Are you content to be the simple servant now, and delay the accolades and praise until you get to heaven?
Some make themselves spiritually sick by the deep dark quest to be important. In verse 2, we connect with some astonishing imagery. A baby! I am like a little child being held by my mom. It’s not an issue of sophistication, but simplicity. You must choose to do this.
The word for weaned isn’t a newborn here. Rather in Hebrew it denotes a small toddler.
A weaned child no longer needs his mom’s milk. He doesn’t fuss, or nuzzle his mother’s breast, demanding his food. The child no longer receives his nourishment this way.
This is a significant step into maturity. To me, verse 2 is the centerpiece of Psalm 131. OK, let’s apply this spiritually. There was a time when it was necessary for me to have my mother’s milk. I screamed and would throw a terrible tantrum if she didn’t feed me from her breast. I would starve if she didn’t give me her milk.
For all practical purposes, it seems we use God to get what we need. But we grow, and become mature. David is saying that we need to emulate his example.
Now we can come into God’s presence– just to be with Him.
That’s all. So simple. As a child, we just want to be where He is at. We have no ulterior motives, there is no manipulation. We seek His face, not what is in His hands. If we rightly connect the dots, we find that we land right back to that opening superscription.
This is an amazing concept of true adoration– the real kind. As a struggler, more a rascal than Christlike, I must start at the beginning– again, and again, and again. I can only do this if I become a little boy again.
I finally start to realize that I must renounce my selfish ambition and silly pride. Polished people won’t understand, they never will.
“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.”
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:21-28, ESV
My daughter had a demon living inside her. Please understand me, I love her more than life itself. It was a terrible torment to see her fall under the control of the evil one like this. Every day seemed worse than the previous, and I knew that the day would come that I would lose her completely to the dark pit.
She would be lost forever.
God knows I tried everything. There was the pagan temple to Eshmon. He was our god of healing and protection for our nation, and it was a short walk away. We made trips there to present ourselves for healing. But things got worse, not better.
When Jesus came we knew we had to meet Him.
I was desperate, at the very end of my rope. I was scared. Meeting Jesus’ disciples was the first step and it really didn’t go well at all. They protected Him, and I couldn’t get close enough to speak with Him.
So much was blocking me. I saw so many obstacles, but when your child is suffering like mine, these things mean nothing. I came to the point where I began to shout, over and over for Jesus to intervene. I was asked to stop, I ignored His followers and kept yelling.
This passage asks us to consider many heavy issues. We have questions that need answers. Why did Jesus seem so cold and harsh? What about the “dog” reference, and His seemingly reluctance to heal? What about her ethnicity as a pagan?
Did Jesus know something about the situation we don’t?
I really want to keep this post short, so I won’t try to answer these questions. But the situation is intriguing. It must be noted that Jesus, at this particular point in His ministry, is focusing on reaching the Jewish population. (But that will change in the future.)
And yet there are positive characteristics of this woman that must be considered. These need to be understood to open up this passage. Please ponder them, they put the entire situation in a different light. We see the following:
Her humility
Her patience
Her prayer and worship
Her persistence
Her faith
Each of these are crucial, and Jesus saw them. Yes, we see the obstacles, but we understand her love for her demon possessed daughter that drives her into Jesus’ presence. We see her faith that won’t give up no matter the resistance she encountered.
“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.“
“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
Daniel 12:3, ESV
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB
In my teenage years, my mom and I attended a series of services in a Christian commune. (This would’ve been in 1972 -73.) They all lived in a single house and had started a Christian rock and roll band. (They were pretty good too.) And they knew how to pray.
I was impressed with what I saw.
When they gathered together for worship, they began to ‘glow.’ I would stare at them as they became ‘illuminated.’ I had never seen anything like this before. The presence of Jesus was there making Himself known in the hearts of His disciples.
I had been given eyes to see the supernatural.
Since then I have heard many testimonies of that same dynamic at work. Confessing believers engaged in prayer and worship, have their countenance changed while in the Lord’s presence. Peace, joy and confidence shines through them in a profound way. Their physical appearance is altered, and they unconsciously proclaim ‘a peace that passes understanding.’
I can’t really explain it in any other way.
Since I became a Christian in 1982, I have retained those images in my thinking. I’m now very aware of the “witnessing presence’ of Jesus in the lives of His people. And scripture itself, on several occasions, points to this wonderful dynamic in action in the lives of consecrated believers.
When the light comes, it can’t help but transform those of us in darkness. Our faces, hearts, and countenances change. We’re the human vessels for peace and joy (especially knowing our sins are forgiven).
The prophet Daniel talks about ‘shining like a star.’ I don’t think this really sinks in. Perhaps the ‘here and now’ seems all we can handle.
‘Shining like a star’ isn’t possible in the mechanics of normal life as an unbeliever (at least for any real length of time). That simply can’t be manufactured. The only possible answer is the Christian’s faith. Namely, that Jesus Christ who is indwelling every believer, reflects His presence out into a dark world.
“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” Psalm 96:9. Perhaps that beauty is more tangible than we think. I’ve always interpreted this as holy believers that shine (or glow) with His presence.
A few winters ago I was out walking on the Alaska Bible Institute campus. Twilight was quickly settling in, and 20-30 yards ahead I saw a child’s sled left in a snow pile. In the monochromatic world of an Alaskan winter, that ‘shining’ sled glowed and couldn’t be missed.
I believe that you and I who bear His presence become fluorescent to certain people.
But we can’t conjure it up on our own. His activity in our hearts makes us astonishingly conspicuous. We can’t hide His presence (even if we sin). We have been irrevocably changed by the Spirit’s residence. We have become ‘glow-in-the-dark’.
Perhaps this is how it supposed to work?
“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden.”
“He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
“And Levi jumped to his feet and went along.”
Mark 2:13-14, ESV
My name is Levi, and I once collected taxes for Rome. It was a very good living–it’s funny, but my parents chose my name– “Gift of God.” They were pious Jews who dreamed I would be more than I was. I sometimes wonder. Did they understand what Jesus was calling me to become?
As a tax collector, I was considered unclean. A very small step above a leper I guess. The Temple was off-limits for me; so I never had any sacrifice for my many sins. I carried my guilt like a heavy jacket on a hot day–some would say that God turned His back on me. I was seen as a collaborator, a betrayer of my people. I had been excommunicated forever.
Do you know what it’s like to be one of the damned?
My friends were sinners like me. In some dark way we understood each other, for we were all outcasts. Some of us were thieves, drunkards, and whores. Some of us were blind or disabled–all were undesirables. We became the community of those damned to hell.
My tax booth was situated at a crossroads, the ideal spot for collecting taxes. No one carrying goods could get by–they had to pay me first. I soon became wealthy, and unfortunately, very recognizable (which was dangerous). I had Roman guards that protected me.
There were times I wondered if that was all my life was good for, collecting coins for Rome.
Jesus was teaching near my booth one day.
I listened to Him closely. I prided myself as a good judge of character, I knew when someone was lying–my business taught me that. I immediately knew that I had never seen or heard anyone quite like Him.
Jesus quickly turned and stared directly at me. My heart stopped. I felt His eyes searching and I realized that He looked through me. He knew exactly who and what I was all about, and that unnerved me. I wasn’t seeing Him, rather it was He that saw me.
“Come, follow me.”
Suddenly I knew that all I attained in my business was a big pile of nothingness. I can never get over the shock of those words– Jesus, the Messiah wanted me. He had put His call on me, someone who was very much lost.
Why me? Who am I?
To follow wasn’t negotiable. I looked down at the silver and gold and realized they were nothing but piles of dirt. I left the coins on the table and walked away. If anything, I was sickened by my world of money.
I have never questioned that moment. What would you have done in my place but follow Him?
We had a grand going-away party that night. I of course invited all my disreputable friends. The rooms quickly filled up with whores, drunks, and the outcasts. Jesus shared many wonderful things with us. Never had anyone love us like Him.
We had never experienced this before!
“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
“And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:15-17, ESV
The Pharisees were absolutely livid. They began to verbally rebuke Jesus and His disciples for setting down to eat and fellowship with us. In their minds we were the damned. My home was unclean, my family unclean–we were all filthy.
But that was not the way Jesus saw us. He loved us when nobody else would.
“But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”
Mark 10:44
I’m processing something right now.
I suppose its implications could turn everything upside down,’ at least for me anyway. Some scientists have postulated that our planet is due for a complete magnetic switchover. This is when the north becomes south and vice versa. My issues at this moment are not quite that cosmic.
At this moment there are over 7,000,000,000 people living on planet earth.
(That’s seven billion.)
Sometimes I wonder if many of my issues come from not seeing this. I’m merely one drop in a vast sea of people. It also seems that there’s an intoxication of success when we become increasingly confused over ‘who’ we really are.
We think it’s about our efforts, maybe our giftedness. Perhaps it’s pride that drives us, even among mature Christian believers. But this is not the way of our Master. It’s unbecoming of a disciple.
3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Philippians 2:3-5
Jesus wasn’t driven like we seem to be.
We think we need to be more assertive, at least the Christian version of it, and push our way to the front. However, Jesus’ message and teaching were all about emptying Himself of being God and becoming a servant of servants. This is the arresting fact we fail to consider–
Jesus did all of this while wearing a towel, not a crown.
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet.”
John 13:3-5
He could have just done a ‘teaching’ on servanthood and I’m reasonably certain it would have been more than sufficient. But instead, Jesus put ‘skin on His words’ and actually got down on His knees to wash dirty feet. His disciples freaked out when they saw him do this.
It was something they could never forget.
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.“
Philippians 2:5-8, ESV
How can we not do this? This is a hard question to ask, but to be perfectly honest, does our discipleship include emptying ourselves daily? Can we find peace and fulfillment by becoming an unknown believer? An unknown, but only to God? Is this what we’re missing in becoming Christlike? These are very hard questions.
“Humility is perfect quietness of heart, It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised.”
“It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”
“Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
We were wrong. I suppose we were trying to maximize Jesus’ ministry. We were there to give Him some much ‘needed’ organization. We simply felt that Jesus’ time was our concern, and we as His disciples wanted Him to connect with those who really mattered. We kept people out and let others in.
But the parents were bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus.
“It was the custom for mothers to bring their children to some distinguished Rabbi on the first birthday that he might bless them.”
William Barclay
We had far more important stuff that needed to be done.
Jesus’ ministry was for adults. There were lepers, demon-possessed, paralyzed, tax-collectors all waiting for His ministry. Somehow we overlooked the needs of little children. Again, we were wrong, misguided, and ignorant of the walk of the true believer.
Jesus made it clear that these children needed to be the focus of our ministry. Our efforts were not to be centered on adults, rather it was misguided thinking on our part to let this happen. We wanted to focus on Jesus’ ministry on those we thought were important.
These little ones kept getting in the way.
And sure enough, Jesus explained to us what we were missing. Children were to become our focus. They were the ones who we were to emulate and esteem. The radical thing to us was understanding that these ‘little ones’ were that significant. This was a powerful jolt, and not at all what we expected.
“Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”
Luke 18:16-17, The Message
This rocked our world! It was nothing less than another strange thought from our Teacher. Accepting this wasn’t easy, but Jesus was crystal clear. We dare not think otherwise, and yet it was against all we thought we understood.
Jesus understood that childlikeness was the only way we could enter His Kingdom.
Up to now, we assumed that maturity meant something like sophistication. It was all about right thinking and good theology. That was what God was looking for. We assumed that being simple wasn’t quite what Jesus wanted from us. Rather we believed the opposite.
Children were now to be our examples. Their simpleness was to be our guide–it was the Kingdom of God’s doorway into true discipleship.
Who would have guessed?
“Part of the exquisite beauty of salvation is its simplicity. Any man, woman, or child can come to Christ with absolutely nothing to offer Him but simple faith-just as they are. Salvation requires nothing more than childlike faith-believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and accepting His gift of Salvation.”
“As he was walking along, he saw a man blind from birth.“
2 “Master,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?”
3 “Neither,” Jesus answered. “But to demonstrate the power of God. 4 All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. 5 But while I am still here in the world, I give it my light.”
6 Then he spat on the ground and made mud from the spittle and smoothed the mud over the blind man’s eyes, 7 and told him, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam” (the word Siloam means “Sent”). So the man went where he was sent and washed and came back seeing!
John 9:1-7
This man had been blind from birth.
I can’t even imagine what blindness would be like. The blind man probably couldn’t imagine having sight. He probably didn’t have a dream-life either–that requires having seen images (a dog, a tree, a mean person) and this wasn’t available to him. He never saw the color red, or saw a mountain.
I suppose we can only imagine what blindness to this degree would be like.
Somehow I’ve come to an idea that this represents fallen men–we’re spiritually blind to the workings and truths of Jesus’ Kingdom. It seems a pretty good explanation of each of us–“blind from birth.” But when you’re blind spiritually you haven’t the slightest of what is real and taking place around you.
“One great power of sin is that it blinds men so that they do not recognize its true character.“
Also notice the response of the disciples who first met this unfortunate man. They don’t see his needs, rather, they want to know the theology behind this. Perhaps that’s how we respond much of the time–we don’t see the needs, we only want to know the reasons. We’re not wise or discerning enough to see what’s really really going on.
Perhaps this is how we operate as immature Christians.
We don’t engage the need, but rather we like having good theology over understanding true passion. It’s easy to philosophize–it’s hard to get down and serve and really love others.
If we really don’t love needy people, we re probably not following Jesus.
It’s funny but Jesus declares Himself to be the light of the world while speaking to the man who is born blind. And it’s also funny that just like there was physical blindness there is a blindness of the Spirit by the disciples–I think it’s even worse.
Third, we discover the gentle mercy that Jesus has when He meets needy people. Now the Lord does accommodate His followers, but not at the expense of engaging the need of the moment. Jesus is full of compassion–most especially when He meets broken people–and as His followers, we must grasp this.
Perhaps good theology isn’t the primary calling of Jesus’ followers.
As I mature in Christ I’m learning (slowly) that people are His real focus. He has come, not to theologise or philosophize, but to meet needs! Sure the reasons why become clearer, but that really isn’t Jesus’ primary goal. I suspect that people will never have impeccable theology.
Classes in systematic theology are really good, but I believe soup kitchens are better.
The blind man is profoundly healed, and Jesus’ love and desire to restore this man is ‘front and center.’ The Lord’s methodology is interesting. Spit and mud, wiped on the blind man’s eyes. In Genesis 1-2 we discover that God made man out of dirt and dust of the ground. Perhaps what He has done here mirrors that work.
And it’s also important to understand that Jesus never performs the exact same healing in the exact same way. For some reason He ‘tailors’ His work to the individuals deepest need. I suppose He doesn’t want us to grab a hold of a formula, as that’s what we want to have.
The story is primarily about a blind man’s healing. It also speaks to the spiritual darkness that afflicts many.
We really must understand this, and we need to understand the tremendous mercy and power of God to both heal and restore. The Lord wants to give you real sight, true spiritual discernment. He really wants this.
There’s a ton more here we can grab, but I suppose there isn’t time. This is merely my take on John 9.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.”
Alaska Bible Teacher 