SIMPLE WITNESS

John 9

Jesus and his disciples passed a blind man and the disciples sought to enter into a theological discussion with Jesus.  “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus refused either option and replied, “It was not that is man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”  In other words, God ordained that the man would be born blind so God would be glorified in his life.  Jesus applies mud to the man’s eyes and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam.  The man obeys and receives his sight.

Having nothing else to do, the seeing man returns home and his neighbors were completely befuddled.  They asked him how he received his sight and the man answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”

The neighbors figured something religious must have taken place so they took the seeing man to the Pharisees.  The religious leaders then inquired about his sight and the man replied, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

Doubting the story of the healing, the Jews called on the man’s parents who were intimidated and would only say that the man was indeed their son.  So the Pharisees recalled the healed man and tried to drag him into a theological debate with them.  “We know that this man is a sinner.” 

The man answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

“What did he do to you?  How did he open your eyes?

“I have told you already, and you would not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become his disciples?”

The Pharisees get angry.  “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.  We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

“Why this is an amazing thing!  You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The Jewish religious leaders cast the man out of the temple.  We would say, they excommunicated him.  Jesus found him, revealed to him that he was the Messiah, and the man believed and worshiped Jesus.

Notice just a few things.  The healed man simply told people what Jesus did for him.  He did not get involved in theology or philosophy.  He merely told what Jesus did for him.  Isn’t there a lesson for us in this?  People may want to argue with us but they can never disprove what Jesus did in our lives.  We simply tell what Jesus did for us and leave it at that.  No one can disprove that!

No fear.  The man knew what happened to him and nothing the authorities could do would change that.  Even though his parents were afraid, the man stood boldly and clung to the truth.  When God is on our side, of whom shall we be afraid?

Finally, faith and worship.  He believed Jesus.  He worshiped him.  Not complicated.  Simple!