Jesus Spoke, And The Father Listened

What Did Jesus Do?

“...but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will,
God listens to him.”
John 9.31

For someone who had been blind from birth, the man whose eyes Jesus had opened showed considerable visual acuity, spiritual visual acuity. He certainly saw and understood things the rulers of the synagogue were unable, or unwilling, to perceive. Though they had already made up their minds about the Lord, the Pharisees called the man who had been blind in for questioning a second time. When they continued to assassinate the character of Jesus, “this man is a sinner,” the man who could now see refused to be dragged into the controversy, instead simply stating the one fact he was absolutely certain of, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9.25) This did not satisfy his interrogators in the least; they wanted to know how his eyes had been opened. (John 9.26)

But the man had already told them exactly how, and what had brought an end to his blindness, why did they want to hear it a second time, could they possibly desire to become disciples of Jesus? (John 9.27) Disciples of Jesus, they were disciples of Moses! (John 9.28) “Why, we don't even know where Jesus comes from.” (John 9.29) And here is where the far superior spiritual senses and perception of the man were revealed.

For the man believed and knew that he would have still been as blind as he had been from birth if the man who had anointed his eyes with mud and instructed him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam had not come from God (John 9.33). The suggestion that his healer was a sinner was patently absurd—God does not listen to sinners, but he hears those who worship him and who do his will. (John 9.31) Clearly, Jesus, who had removed the darkness that the man had known all his life, spoke to God, and God listened to him!

This was just too much for the ones who refused to listen to or see the truth, and they made good on their threat to expel from the synagogue any and all who confessed Jesus as the Christ, and they cast out the man who, no longer blind, could “see” what they never would: Jesus spoke to the Father, and the Father listened to the Son.

As it turned out, Jesus could cure congenital blindness, but could do nothing about willful blindness. Thus the saying (non-biblical though it may be), “There are none so blind as those who will not see” is borne out in Scripture. Nevertheless, we persevere in prayer, in speaking to the Father, because we know he is listening. We pray for all who are in darkness because we do not know who the Father may bring from darkness into light this day.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4