Blind faith, to my mind, is believing something because someone you trust has told you it is so. You can't see how it would possibly work out but since the one you trust with all your heart says it must be so; why, then, it's as good as done.
Once, there was a blind man. He was minding his own business, when the disciples and Jesus passed by him. The disciples asked Jesus if the man was blind because he or his parents sinned?
What a question! Jews in that day thought that if a child was born with an imperfection it was because the parents had sinned. I wonder if the blind man thought they were rude. I suppose he was used to people talking about him.
Anyway, Jesus said that neither had sinned but the man's blindness was so that the power of God would be displayed in him.
In other words, it was God's plan that the blind man was sitting where he was on that day. It was not coincidence when Jesus and the disciples passed by.
Are you surprised that the event was planned down to the very last detail? What about you? Do you think He has a plan for your life?
Imagine, if you will, how you would feel sitting there as everyone discussed you as if you were also deaf. No one asked him if he wanted to be healed.
And then, he heard someone spit on the ground. Eww! A few seconds later, Jesus invaded his personal space and smeared mud on his eyes.
Then he directed the man to walk to the pool of Siloam and wash his eyes. Notice Jesus did not ask him if he wanted to be healed, nor did He tell him that if he would be obedient he would be healed. He just said go and wash.
What is even more surprising when you read all of the blind man's story in John 9, you realize the blind man did not even know who Jesus was.
Would you allow someone to talk about you, spit and then rub mud on your eyes, and then to top it all off, tell you to walk about half a mile and wash - all without knowing why!
I like to imagine what he was thinking as he went to the pool of Siloam. Maybe he thought, "the nerve of this guy, rubbing mud on me and then telling me to wash up!"
As a kid, I once pretended to be a blind person and tried to walk with my eyes shut for a quarter of a mile. I couldn't help but stumble in the soft Florida sand where my blind walk occurred.
Did he stumble and fall on his rocky half-mile walk? Did he say to himself, "This is stupid, I should get under a shade tree and relax and forget this crazy stuff."
How easy would it be to give up?
Somehow he had blind faith. It just seemed like the right thing to do to be obedient.
And his eyes were opened.
His miracle was waiting in the water. Your miracle might just be waiting for you to be obedient. Has God told you something to do and you've not done it yet?
The Isaacs sing an awesome song about obedient faith called "Waiting in the Water."
Enjoy!
I'm sharing this post with the #TellHisStory community at Jennifer Dukes Lee's blog.
Good food for thought.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
A wonderful story of healing and faith. Stories like that are meant to really ponder and take in every detail and think about it longer than just reading through. My husband pastored a small church and I loved it when he would just take one of those and disect it. We also really like the Isaacs. We have seen them twice here at a local theatre.
ReplyDeleteI really can't imagine going along with all the blind man did! It proves his desperation. I want to be that desperate for Jesus' touch too. To let him do whatever it takes to heal me from the inside out. Oh, for more blind faith! Love this, Jerralea.
ReplyDeleteJerralea, I have always loved this story about the blind man. I was born with a birth defect and walk with a pretty serious limp. It's so comforting to read that the man was born blind so that God's glory could be displayed in Him.... that has always made me smile.
ReplyDeleteThe message this weekend at church was on faith, so your post is like a big AMEN to that sermon. The pastor told a story about how he and his wife went skydiving. He made the comparison that faith is like letting yourself plummet down into the open sky.... you have to let go and allow God to take the reigns. But, first you must step out... all in... it's an all or nothing decision. There is no half hearted faith.