…the Word offers a fresh perspective for our lives and speaks directly to the needs within our hearts.

May the Lord bless you. Let us turn to John 9 to read His Word and see what it says today. It tells of Jesus healing a man born blind. As He passed by, Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth and His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Who sinned—he or his parents?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; rather, this happened so that the work of God might be made evident in his life." We see this in the passage—a passage that has always filled my heart. Every time I read it, the Lord reveals something new to me. For the Word of God is so rich! Whenever you seek it—whenever you approach the Word of God with a genuine need—even if you have read the passage before, the Word offers a fresh perspective for our lives and speaks directly to the needs within our hearts.

This passage caught my attention because it says Jesus was passing by and saw a man who was blind. Blind from when? From birth. He was a man who had been born blind, unable to see. I thought about the limitations he faced as a child. I imagined his life from a young age and how difficult it must have been, right? This child had to learn to live with a disability. He had to learn to live with many limitations. Yet, he had reached adulthood. AsJesus was passing by, it says that He saw the man who was blind from birth. Jesus sees this man's need, but the disciples were more concerned with who was to blame for the young man’s blindness. They ask, "Why was this man born blind? Did he sin, or did his parents?" How often do we go around looking for explanations for so many things in our lives? Sometimes we just want to know what the problem is. Yet, Jesus often does not dwell on that. Instead, He sees beyond what a human being can see. They were concerned about why that young man had been born blind and Jesus was more concerned about the man himself.

Scripture teaches us that, in the past, illnesses were believed to be the result of sin. So, they all linked it to sin, didn't they? And there are indeed illnesses that come from sin. How many of us know this? There are diseases caused by living a disordered life such as AIDS, for example, which is contracted through moral disorder or a disordered sexual life. One contracts the disease, and that disease is the result of sin. How many of us know this?

Just think about it. These days there are throat cancers. But how does throat cancer often develop? It’s because people enjoy smoking. Even though the labels say it’s harmful to your health, yet how many people actually quit smoking? I know people who suffer from lung disease—morning, noon, and night—and yet, before you know it, they’ve snuck off to smoke another cigarette even though they know it’s harming their health. It’s true that some illnesses are caused by sin. After all, we all were born into a life of sin right from the moment we were born. We are already familiar with that concept. Scripture says there is not a single righteous person. That’s because we all have sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God.

Who is the light of the world? It is Jesus.

Yet here we see Jesus. Upon seeing this man who had spent a lifetime living in darkness, a lifetime unable to see and Jesus drawing near to him. And look at what is said a little further on in verse 3: "Neither he nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered, "but this happened so that the work of God might be made evident in his life. While it is day, we must carry out the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” What does Jesus say? "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." I want us all to repeat it. "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Who is the light of the world? It is Jesus. He came to bring man out of darkness. He came to bring out those of us who were in darkness and give us light so that we would no longer continue living in darkness. We see then that this man had been living a life of darkness.

There are many things we can observe in this example. And the Lord, having said this, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and smeared it on the blind man's eyes telling him, "Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam," which means "sent." Let’s look at that detail. The Bible says Jesus approaches that man. What do you think he wanted Jesus to do for him? To open his eyes, right? But often, the methods and the way Jesus works do not align with our human mindset. Just think about how Jesus performed this miracle. He did it with mud and saliva. Can you imagine if I called one of you up right now and said, "Come here. Do you want to be healed?" and then start spitting and mixing mud with my saliva? Who would come up here? Everyone would stay put and say,"Not me." Just imagine what would a doctor think if I told him, "You see, I was healed because he put saliva in my eyes"? What would he say but, "You're crazy!"

But when Jesus enters our lives, He overturns our human mindset and the human reasoning we bring with us. The way Jesus wants to work in our lives is often not the way we want Him to. And this is a case in point. Just imagine how that man was already dealing with the burden of blindness. Then Jesus comes along and not only does He see the man's blindness, but He also applies a bit of mud to his eyes. I picture the man walking along and he doesn't question Jesus's command. Jesus simply tells him, "Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam." He gives him a direct order. The man obeyed and he went and washed his eyes in the pool. And through that act of obedience, the Scripture says he received his healing.

How many of us here need a miracle? A miracle in our personal lives. A miracle in our family. A miracle, right? Whatever circumstances we may be facing today, it is important that we see and understand our need. This man did not question Jesus' command. Instead, he went and washed, as verse 7 says, in the Pool of Siloam which means "sent." The blind man went and washed and upon returning he could see! It is incredible, truly incredible, that this man, after having been blind his entire life, could now see. Sometimes when I can't see well since my vision is a bit more limited now and I have to wear glasses for certain things like reading, I realize just how valuable eyesight is. When you’ve always been able to see, it feels like something natural. Yet it is a wonderful thing when someone receives something they never had before. When someone gives them that gift, the opportunity to see. This man was so excited and Scripture tells us that the blind man went and washed, and as he returned, he could see.

Yet, instead of people rejoicing over the miracle that had taken place in this man who had been blind his entire life, let’s look at what verse 8 says. His neighbors and those who had seen him begging for alms were saying, "Isn't this the one who sits and begs?" Some insisted, "Yes, it is him," while others said, "No, it isn't him; he just looks like him." Just imagine what had happened to this man. He had returned from the pool from being a man who could not see who was now seeing. But not only that. Something had happened to him. Something had changed within him to the point where his neighbors didn't even recognize him. It says his neighbors, and our neighbors usually know us well, don't they?

But it says that when they looked at him, they didn't recognize him because something had changed in that man. Something had happened to him. Even his appearance was different. And it says that when they saw him, they asked, "Could it be him? No, it's not him. He looks like him, but..." And I love his attitude because he tells them, "No, it really is me. It's me, it's me." I love that part because just imagine how, at times, you want to try to explain to others the miracle God has worked in your life and maybe many won't believe it. Maybe many were not able to understand what God did in his life or what God wanted to do in his life that day. Yet he insisted, "Yes, it is me." "How, then, were your eyes opened?" they asked him. He said, "The man called Jesus made some mud, smeared it on my eyes, and told me to go and wash."

We read that he went to the pool. Reading about the pool struck me because it was a place of purification. It was a place where all the Jews of that time had to enter and wash themselves in order to gain access to the temple. They could not enter without first being washed, without first being purified. And I want to tell you, church, that none of us can approach the presence of the Lord without first going to the pool and being washed with the water that comes from heaven, amen. We cannot approach without first going to the pool. That is why the Lord told him, "Go and wash. Go and wash in the pool." And this man obeyed. And when he obeyed, he was able to see the miracle. No one—none of us—can approach the presence of the Lord without first passing through that pool of purification. Back then, it was a physical pool. But now, Jesus said, "I am the fountain of living water." Amen.

Christ is the fountain of living water…

And I want us to turn to Zechariah 13:1. Do you have it? "On that day a fountain will be opened to wash—a fountain to wash away sin and impurity—for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Here Zechariah is speaking and prophesying that a fountain would be opened so that anyone going to the temple could pass through it and be washed. Yet Zechariah is prophesying that one day, Christ would rise up as that very fountain to cleanse the sin of the world. Christ is the fountain of living water, and today, that fountain is open to anyone who wishes and needs to enter to be washed. Amen.

How much do we want to go to the fountain? We must go to the fountain. The Lord told this man, "Go and wash," and he obeyed. He went and washed. And what was he to wash? The Word teaches us that our eyes are the lamp of the body, and whatever enters through our eyes defiles a person. Amen. But I was thinking about this man. He had not been able to see since childhood. He was a man who had never seen anything. Yet the Lord put mud on his eyes and used him as an example to teach those present that it was necessary to go and wash in the pool. Amen. And it says that he went and washed. I used to picture him washing his eyes, splashing on water, and wiping away the mud. It is such a wonderful thing, church, when the Lord helps us understand these truths.

And as I read this, I gave thanks to the Lord. For if this man who had never seen a thing had to go to the pool to be washed, how much more reason do I have to go to that fountain when considering all the things my eyes have seen, and all the things that have entered through my eyes. How much more reason do I have to go to the fountain and wash myself? Yet we see that the miracle did take place. Because someone obeyed. Because someone listened to the voice of the Lord even though he couldn't see Him, for this man did not see Him, but rather heard Him. Imagine being called to the front and someone comes up and says, "Come here," and you begin to listen. And after listening, well, sometimes you have to exert effort to spit forcefully, right? I imagine Jesus had to produce quite a bit of saliva. How much do you think He produced? A lot, right? So, this man was simply listening to what was happening around him and then feeling the moisture on his eyes and didn't mind that and didn't question a thing. He simply obeyed.

Yet, we often miss out on seeing a miracle in our lives because we are always trying to question the way—the very manner—in which Jesus wants to do things. Many times, we have missed out on great opportunities to encounter Jesus because we begin questioning things, saying, "This shouldn't be done this way," or thinking, "Oh, that church ought to have this or that." Yet, we see that this man did not enter the Lord's presence with that attitude. Instead, he simply obeyed and he witnessed that great miracle. In these times, the Lord has called us to draw near to Him so that we may be cleansed, purified, and washed by His Word. It is necessary for us to draw near and confess our sins. As the Word says, “for if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us.” Amen. He is that fountain of living water. He is that source where we can come and be washed. This man who had been born immersed in darkness could now see.

But that’s when his troubles began. Because now that he could see, people kept asking him, "But what happened? How did He do it?" We often want to see fire fall from heaven, we want to see ourselves lifted up into the clouds, but I am struck by this man's example. He didn't have to add anything to his testimony other than stating what Jesus had done for him. He said nothing else, even though they asked him again and again. He simply said, "The only thing I know is that He put mud on my eyes. I was blind, and now I can see." Amen. Just imagine how wonderful that is! Yet, many people surrounded him and questioned him and they asked, "But how did he do it?"

At one point, speaking of Jesus, the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God." Because the way Jesus did things that they thought were not right. The man replied, "All I know is that I couldn't see before, and now I can see." It describes how they were investigating the miracle. Sometimes we act like investigators. We want to investigate how things happened. "What is that brother going through? What is that sister going through? Oh, could they be in sin? Oh, they’re always sick. Oh, what could it be?” That’s how the disciples were, and the Pharisees were even worse. It struck me because the text says that even this man’s parents, when they were called in and asked, "So, how is it that your son can see now?" were afraid. Admitting that Christ had performed the miracle would have led to their expulsion from the synagogue, and they were so accustomed to being part of the synagogue that they weren't willing to face that. They said, "He is our son, and he was blind, but as for who performed the miracle..." Just imagine. Sometimes even family members oppose us in our lives when we begin to seek and yearn for a little more of the Lord. So, this man faced opposition from neighbors, from Pharisees, and from the religious establishment. But it didn't stop him. Nothing could hold him back. Nothing could stop this.

…the miracle came about through obedience.

As I thought about this, I realized it takes courage to stand up for what the Lord has done for us. It takes courage to remain steadfast in the face of opposition from the world, especially when that opposition comes from within the home or from family. It takes courage to hold firm and believe in what Jesus has done in our lives and what He is going to do. Perhaps the Lord wants to do something in our lives today. Yet, like this man who believed and obeyed, the miracle came about through obedience. As I read this, I said to the Lord, "How often I have been ignorant of Your Word, Lord! Sometimes I thought that simply by going to church, by merely showing up and being present, something would happen. But if I am not truly obeying you, nothing can happen, because you bless obedience." Amen. God blesses obedience. God blesses the one who obeys Him. God reveals Himself and makes His work evident to others through that person's obedience. The Scripture says this happened so that the work of God would be made manifest in that man. God's work in our lives is evident. Others can see it. They can see what is happening in our lives and say, "Oh, that is something God is doing," because this person used to be one way, but now something has changed. Something has happened in this family, something has happened in that heart so that they can now see and they now look different.

So, as I considered that and looked at the example, I saw that there is a worse kind of blindness. Spiritual blindness. For this man was blind from birth, yet the Pharisees were spiritually blind. Even though they witnessed the miracle, they saw how Jesus had performed it, they heard how He had done the work, and even asked how it had happened, they still did not believe. And I prayed, "Lord, do not let us miss the opportunity to see a miracle in our lives. Do not let us miss the chance for the light of Christ to shine in our hearts." Amen. Do not let us miss it for questioning, for trying to understand the way God has done things or is doing things now. Let us not miss the opportunity. Spiritual blindness stems from an arrogant heart. It’s a stubborn heart that, despite having witnessed God's mercy, persists in its obstinacy. They were seeing, they had seen, how God had performed the miracle through Jesus Christ. Yet, they refused to believe.

I love that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." It does not matter how long we have been in darkness. That man had spent years in that darkness, but when Jesus arrived, his eyes were opened and he was able to see. And not just see anyone, but he saw Jesus. He was able to know Him and see Him. Yet the Pharisees harbored proud, arrogant hearts. When the blind man told them, "I already told you how He did it. Why don't you believe me?” and asked if they, too, wanted to become His disciples, they retorted, "We are not His disciples. You are." We see then, that their hearts were filled with pride and arrogance. Let us not allow such things to persist in our hearts, for they prevent us from seeing something new. They keep us from enjoying the miracle. I do not know if you are standing next to someone whose miracle you have failed to see. Often we cannot see it because we are arrogant, because our hearts are filled with pride, and because we refuse to accept or tolerate anyone telling us anything. Yet, the person beside us may well be the very vessel that God wants to use so that we would see His glory. Amen.

It is not a matter of outward appearance. And it is true that none of us here can say we are not sinners. For I am the greatest sinner of all. Someone who has failed in many ways. I was reflecting on this young man and I wondered, "What did this young man have to face?" You know the things someone with a disability faces; bullying, rejection, scorn. And all of it since his childhood. I deeply identified with this story and I said to the Lord, "Out there, the world is truly cruel." Yet I couldn't see that clearly until I came to the Lord's house. I, who had known rejection and been trampled upon, found refuge there. Someone who had been mocked since early childhood found a place where He gave me worth. And I would tell the Lord, "I never want to go back to that world." That is why when we sing that song and it says, "I don't want to go back," and "I am not going back,"I ask Him to plant me firmly in His house. Because what lies out there is ugly. But we can see the difference when Christ illuminates our eyes. When Jesus removes the blindfold and we can finally see how good and wonderful He is. We can then enjoy His presence and His love.

I thank the Lord because, just like that man, I came in blinded, emerging from a deep darkness that only He could light up. And I thank Him for He says that He is the light of the world. He says that if I follow Him, I will never again walk in darkness. How many of us want that light? How many of us want Him to come in and do His work in our hearts so that we may experience His love and His grace. And let us not hold back by trying to understand how He is going to do it or how He is doing it. For often, we will not understand the way or the manner in which the Lord has acted. I love that man's testimony. How much more can we speak of what the Lord has done in ours? We do not need eloquence, we simply need to tell others what He has done in our lives. Where He has brought us from and what He has rescued us from.

Look at what verse 39 says. "Then Jesus said, 'I have come into this world for judgment—so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.'" This really struck me and I prayed to the Lord, "Do not let me, do not let me Lord because of my stubbornness or my pride to become blind." For the Pharisees, even though they had physical eyes, could not see the goodness of God. Despite having sight, they could not, and would not, enjoy the light. Yet Christ says, "I have come for judgment. I have come so that those who do not see may see, but also so that those who claim to see may no longer see." The Pharisees pretended to know everything. They claimed to understand it all and believed they had seen it all. That is why they could not experience the new thing God was bringing through Jesus Christ. They did not accept it, nor did they recognize it.

Yet this man had the opportunity of a lifetime. This man who had lived immersed in darkness was given the chance to see the light of Jesus. How many of us want to see that light? And notice that after he was expelled, after he was cast out of the temple because he stood firm in declaring what Jesus had done for him, this man had an encounter with Jesus. Look at what verse 35 says, “Jesus heard that the man had been cast out, and upon finding him, asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is He, Lord? Tell me, so that I may believe in Him.’ ‘You have already seen Him,’ Jesus answered, ‘the one speaking with you.’ ‘I believe, Lord,’ the man declared, and he bowed down and worshiped Him.’” Imagine what a glorious opportunity this man had. He saw Jesus while others who saw Him squandered the chance. I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, let us not miss the opportunity today. Let us not miss the chance to let the light of Jesus enter our hearts and shine upon us.

…the blessing comes when we obey the Word of the Lord."

The Word says that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Amen. That if we seek Him, He will let Himself be found. And today is a good time to draw near to Him. It is a good time for us to learn to obey. And look, there is no blessing merely in hearing the Word. Rather, the blessing comes when we obey the Word of the Lord." There is joy and blessing when we learn to obey the Word of the Lord. How much do we want to enjoy the new thing God wants to do in us today? If so, we must learn to obey the word of the Lord.

And to conclude, I would like us to turn to James 1:19-25:

“My dear brothers, keep this in mind: everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry, for human anger does not produce the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, let us rid ourselves of all filth and the wickedness that abounds so much, so that you may receive with humility the word planted within you—the word that has the power to save your lives.

Do not be content with merely listening to the word, for in doing so you deceive yourselves; put it into practice. Whoever listens to the word but does not put it into practice is like someone who looks at their face in a mirror; after looking at themselves, they walk away and immediately forget what they look like.

But whoever looks closely at the perfect law that gives freedom and perseveres in it—not forgetting what he has heard but putting it into practice—will receive a blessing.”

We see that this man was able to enjoy God’s blessing—the miracle—because he was a man who learned to obey. But what is so incredible about this miracle? It’s that he learned to obey without seeing. Without seeing and without understanding. Often, we want to understand everything. We want everything explained to us: the how, the why, and the purpose of whether something is from God or not. But this man simply obeyed. And I believe the Lord is calling us. God is looking for a people who will obey Him. He is looking for a people who will learn to obey Him. He is looking for a people who will learn the meaning of loyalty, as we have been taught. Loyalty to Him. This man was loyal to the Lord even though he had not seen Him and even though he was walking along without yet seeing. Perhaps many of us do not yet see what we are asking for. But if we believe in the Lord, if we place our trust in Him, and if we stand firm in what the Lord has done in our lives, He will be glorified. Amen.

For it is said that what happened to this man was not due to sin. Rather, it was so that the work of God might be made evident in his life. How much do we believe that? We go through so many things in our daily lives and sometimes people might say, "He is living in sin." But look at the beautiful way Jesus views the situation. It was not a matter of him having sinned. Jesus knew this man's heart and there was a reason He sent him to the pool to wash. Jesus said, "This is so that the work of God may be made evident." How much do we desire for God's work to be evident in our lives?