Today’s Reading: John 9:1-17, 35-41
THE PAIN
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” — John 9:1-5
Our hearts break when we watch those we love get sick; we fall to our knees when a diagnosis changes our lives forever. What did we do? Why has God allowed this suffering? We cannot see the road ahead of us through the pain and tears. What is ahead appears so dark; it is not a journey we want to walk and we beg God to take it away! We search for some kind of explanation or obsess over what we could have done differently.
Jesus says – I am the light of the world. I will shine my light in the darkness that surrounds you. This has happened so the power of God can be seen in you!
GOD ALLOWS PAIN IN OUR LIVES SO THE POWER OF GOD CAN BE SEEN IN US.
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” — John 9:6-11
Later, after the man had been questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus found him and revealed that he was the Son of Man, and the man worshiped him. He believed Jesus was who he said he was, because he had experienced the healing power of the Messiah. His life would never be the same! Those around him were now given a reason to believe, because the power of God was on display in his life.
Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” — John 9:39
How often do we think our faith is strong until something tragic happens and then we realize we do not have enough faith to get us through this difficult time. We realize we are blind and we need Jesus, the Light of the World, to give us sight. We want to believe – Lord, help us to believe! Strengthen our faith and shine your light into our situation.