Today’s Reading: 

John 9:1–11 (NLT)

1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So, the man went and washed and came back seeing! 8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” 10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So, I went and washed, and now I can see!”

 

Today’s Big Points

1) Healing is part of the Gospel.

2) Healing identifies Jesus as the promised Savior.

3) Healing is a gift of God’s grace.

4) Healing will be fully realized when Jesus returns.

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BIG IDEA:

In this story, Jesus performs a pretty amazing miracle and He does it in a really unusual way. This man was born blind; he had never seen the face of another person or even the light of day. We don’t know exactly why Jesus made mud and spread that mud over the man’s eyes. In Genesis 2:7, we read that God formed man from the dust of the earth, so this may be a reminder of the creative activity of God. While we don’t know why Jesus did this miracle this way, we do know that the blind man’s life was dramatically changed. We also learn three important truths about sickness and struggle. 

1) Sickness and struggle are not always the result of sin. On one level, the sin of the whole world is ultimately why we all suffer. But Jesus clearly teaches here that on another level, personal sin is not the cause of personal sickness and suffering. We should never assume people who are sick are being punished for personal sin. 

2) We also learn that God may allow struggle and pain in our lives to give Him an opportunity to show His power and His goodness. God can receive glory from His redemptive work in the mess of our lives.

3) God will use His work in our lives to point others toward Jesus. When we see His light, recognize His power, and have the hope only He can give, we can share God’s light, His truth, with those around us. When people know that God has opened your eyes—your spiritual eyes—they will want to know how it happened. This opens the door for you to share your story. 

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Questions to Ponder

For Adults:

• What lifelong struggles have you had that Jesus has helped you with?

• How are you using your story to point others (including your children) to Jesus?

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For Teens:

• • In this story, what did Jesus do for the blind man?

• • What do you notice about the neighbor’s response and the blind man’s answer to them?

• • How would you explain what Jesus has done for you?

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For Kids:

• In this story, what did Jesus do for the blind man?

• How did the neighbors respond to the healing?

• How did the blind man explain what Jesus did for him?

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BIG PRAYER:

God,
Thank You that You love people who are hurting and in pain. Thank You that You opened my spiritual eyes to see myself correctly, to see this world correctly, and to see You correctly. Help me to fix my eyes on You and give me a desire to see You even more clearly. Give me opportunities to share my story with others and give me the boldness and wisdom to know how to do so. Thank You that someday You will heal and restore everything broken in me and around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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