MESSAGE: The Witness of the Blind Man

SPEAKER: TAN SENG KUAN
MESSAGE: The Witness of The Blind Man
TEXT: John 9

The story of Jesus healing the blind man by the Pool of Siloam really begins with Jesus declaring himself to be the light of the world in John 8. Jesus illustrates the truth in his words by giving sight to a blind man. Beyond the miracle is a message to bear witness to Jesus who is the Light of the World.

We are told in v1 that Jesus first noticed the blind man, which caused the disciples to ask, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The question reveals the mindset of Jesus’ followers. Where the disciples saw a problem, Jesus saw a person. Where Jesus showed compassion, his followers showed judgment seeing the blind man’s problem as a possible consequence of his parents’ sin or his own.

In answering his disciples’ question Jesus shows us that what is decisive is not the cause of our problems, but the purpose of God. ““Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Jesus’ reply is echoed in another way in Romans 8:28 where Paul writes:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

But God’s purposes will mean nothing unless we agree that God’s work has greater value than everything else. It means that more than anything else, we desire that God is glorified, above the desire for physical health, or even life itself.

As the Psalmist says in 63:3, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”

Is God’s love truly better than life itself? 

Inability to see God’s glory and to see the greater value of his love is spiritual blindness. We are said to have seen the light when we recognize and acknowledge that the glory of God is greater than all that the world has to offer. We are worse than the blind man when we cannot see this.

The Pharisees reaction to the healing of the blind man is an illustration of spiritual blindness. They were more concerned with keeping the rituals of Sabbath and completely ignored the display of God’s glory. There is a stark contrast in the response of the blind man who is now healed, and the legalistic Pharisees. Where the blind man’s estimate of Jesus grows from surprise to worship, the Pharisees’ view of Jesus move from shock to rejection.

In v25, we see that the personal testimony of a man who has encountered Jesus is hard to object – even by those like the Pharisees who bring up theological arguments. As Christians we must be able to talk about our own personal encounters with Jesus and share them frequently with unbelievers. Siloam means ‘Sent.’ Just as the blind man was sent to the Pool to wash the mud off his eyes, so believers are now sent to bear witness to Jesus our Saviour and Light of the World. (Pix: Pool of Siloam today)

In v35, it is Jesus who seeks out the blind man. Jesus often seeks us out when we are in complete helplessness and not before – so that ultimately it is God who receives glory. And like the blind man, when we are healed, it must lead us to worship Jesus and glorify him alone. 

This is evidence that we have indeed seen the light.

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Tan Seng Kuan is a lecturer in Math and Statistics in a private college, and an Elder of Setapak Gospel Centre in Air Panas.