Trust and obey

 

Obedience     “He went his way therefore and washed, and came seeing.” Simple obedience to the word of the Great Physician, Nothing more, nothing less.  Naaman the Syrian wanted to object to obeying the word; when he did he was cleansed.  The man who was blind from birth obeyed without question.  In Romans chapters 1 and 16, faith is stated simply to be obedience.  Paul spoke of the obedience, which is faith.  It stands therefore that lack of faith is just disobedience. There is no middle ground in the things of God.

 Chapter 9v8-41   Deflecting opposition

The remaining verses are all about opposition to Him, when there should have been joy and gratitude at such a notable miracle in their midst.   A man who was born blind can now see!  Yet the focus is on debate rather than delight.  Through the verses we shall see that this opposition came from many quarters.

·      Opposition from the neighbours-v18-they were sceptical.

·      Opposition from the Pharisees-v13, v15 and v16 who stated that healing on the Sabbath day was not of God.  They had no concern for the man, only the philosophy of their own religion.

·      Opposition from the Jews-v18; these were the ruling class who recommended excommunication of the man who had been healed, what perversion!

·      Opposition from the parents of the man-v20, v22, v23; this was because of the fear of what might happen to them in the community.

·      Opposition from others-v9, v16.  There were many hangers-on who just went with the flow for the sake of peace. It is true now, it was true back then.

·      Notice that the opposition was constant, there was no let-up in their vehement behaviour-v15, v17, v24, v26, all verses highlighted by the word the word again.  Their voices were joined together in opposition from all quarters. The man who was healed, we are glad to say, overcame this situation.  In v11, he talked of a man that is called Jesus; and in v17 a prophet; in v8, he called him Lord.  His appreciation of Him is increasing all the time.  For this he was cast out of the temple-v34.  This is the way it will always be-excommunicated from man’s religion to be with Christ.  As we move into chapter 10, we shall see that the Lord has His own people, His own flock, His own fold, into which all worldly outcasts are welcomed, and fed, and tended, and protected.   

·      The chapter which began with Jesus healing a blind man ends with Jesus declaring that the rulers of Israel are themselves blind.  They expose themselves to be frauds when they cast the man out of the synagogue simply because he declared that Jesus healed him.  On top of that evil, they had murderous intentions in their heart towards Jesus.  The man who was healed worshipped Him, the rulers rejected Him.  “Jesus said for judgment I am come into this world that they which see not might see; and that they  see might be made blind.  Some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, are  we blind also?  Jesus said unto them, if you were blind ye should have no sin, but now ye say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth.”  They were so blinded to the truth of God, they couldn't even see their own sin.