Transformation from Misery to Glory in the Light of the World, Jesus

John 9:1–7 (NKJV)

Christ Heals the Blind Man

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷ And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Message

I. The Cause of Misery (1-3)

See v1.

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

This blind man couldn’t see anything since his birth. This means he didn’t see even his mother and father ever. To the worse, he was poor as he was a beggar (John 9:8).

See v2.

² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The disciples of Jesus saw the misery of the blind man and thought that his misery might be caused by the sin of the man or his parents. So, His disciples asked Him what the cause of the misery of the blind man was. Jesus answers in v3. See v3.

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

Differently to the man healed in John 5:1-15, whose 38-year illness was due to his sin (John 5:14), the misery of the born-blind man in this chapter was not caused by the sin but for revealing the works of God in him. It is a common way of thinking to explain the misery that the cause is the sin and the effect is the misery. However, the cause of the misery is not always the sin. Regardless of the cause, misery is not a fate in Jesus who is the Healer (7), the Game Changer (John 5:8, 9), and the History Maker.

II. Misery to Glory: the Transforming Works of God in the Light of the World (4-7)

See v4-5.

⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus, the light of the world, makes the ‘night’ of the world in misery into ‘day’ when we can work the works of God who sent Jesus.

See v6.

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.

Jesus didn’t immediately heal the blind man as He usually did. Instead, He made clay and pasted it over the eyes of the blind man.

See v7^a.

^7a And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).

Then, Jesus asked him to go and wash in Siloam. Jesus involved him in the healing process. The clay could cause discomfort to him. Going to the pool might be hard as a blind man. Faith, obedience, and patience were required.

See v7^b.

^7b So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

The result of the obedience was the healing. Jesus transformed his misery into the glory of God. His misery was originally intended to glorify God by revealing the works of God who sent Jesus. The more miserable a person may be, the greater glory he can give to God in Jesus. There is no fate in Jesus. Trust and obey Jesus. Where Jesus sends you may be where your misery is transformed.