Night is Coming

John Chapter 9

Scripture:
 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.  As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  (John 9:1-5) New International Version


Observation:
This section of scripture starts out saying: "Jesus saw a man blind from birth."  I have so much more I'd like to say about this section of scripture, this wonderful story; but my time is limited in this format.  So, I'm only highlighting the first verse.  Please take the time to put this all into context and read today's Chapter.  Look at who Jesus is talking to, the light he sheds on the situation and laugh along with this plucky and intelligent man who though brought low through circumstances, got to tweak the Pharisees nose a bit.

It is part of our human nature to be uncomfortable with disabilities or strangeness.  It's much more common to let our eyes slide off and not be caught looking, we don't want to stare.  We don't know what to say.  We know that the people who live with and suffer through disabilities are in pain of one kind or another, if not physical pain then the social pain of being outside of the community's norms.  We don't know what to say or how to respond and we don't want to be disrespectful.  Also, we are aware on some level that they likely have been dealing with this reaction from others their whole life and might not respond well to our curiosity or our pity.  So we move on.  We slide by and avoid eye contact.

Jesus didn't.

The verse says "he saw him".  He was moved and engaged by this man's extreme poverty and perseverance.  We know this because the passage says his parents could no longer care for him and so day after day he begged in the street.  

Because Jesus stopped and took a good look at him, the disciples stopped and looked as well.  The disciples jumped in with a question, thinking this could be a teaching moment.  Obligingly, Jesus stepped in and taught them a lesson about SEEING people and making the most of every opportunity while it is still day, because night is coming.

Then to prove the truth in the metaphor, he reaches out and with the dust of the earth (an echo of creation), he makes a paste of it and puts it on the mans eyes.  As he is telling his disciples that he is the light of the world, he heals this blind beggar, whom the rest of the world dismissed and saw no value in, and provided light to eyes that had never before known anything but darkness.

Application:
I don't know where you are in your walk of life.  I don't know what burdens you shoulder, what demons chase you, or what disability you may have... But let me encourage you to know that He SEES you.  You matter to Him, and he longs to heal you of the darkness that blinds.

Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for being our light, for seeing us.  Night is coming, help us use every opportunity to reveal who you are and show your work in the world around us.  Amen.