Good day to all. Welcome to the “front porch.”
Through my search through the Bible, I have learned to ask myself this question as I come to a particular biblical account: Why is this story in here? Or, what is the Holy Spirit saying to us? Sometimes we ask that same question in regard to a single word or phrase. For us to illustrate each biblical example of this fully, I would have to say as John says at the end of his gospel—I’m not sure the world could contain all of the books that could be written to illustrate each word and account that the Holy Spirit chooses.
But, for today, here’s one example, located in the ninth chapter of the book of John. I will say, from the start, that the answer to “Why is this story recorded?” is this: The Holy Spirit wants us to know that God means exactly and precisely what He says.
It is in John 9 that Jesus encounters a blind man who is sitting outside the city of Jerusalem begging. Jesus and his disciples begin to talk about the blind man’s condition when they walk up to him, and the blind man, no doubt, listens to their conversation with interest. We almost can hear the blind man say, humorously, “Fellas, I’m right here. I can hear you. I’m blind, not deaf.”
I’m sure, though, that the blind man merely listens and does not protest. Perhaps he recognizes the person and the voice of Jesus, and his hopes for a cure are elevated to a new high. One thing is for sure, he does not rebel at all when this Jewish teacher completes the discussion, turns to him, spits on the ground, and makes mud and rubs it on his eyes.
Nor does he argue when the Lord speaks to him for the first time, saying, simply: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (v. 7).
We have to admit: This is quite a strange scene. And we cannot help but pose the question we considered in the beginning: Why does the Spirit include it in John’s record. Not only that: Why would the Spirit devote the entire ninth chapter of John to this one story of a random blind man sitting outside the city of Jerusalem begging? Space is limited, you know, in this book. It is like writing for the newspaper. We have to be judicious with our words because space is precious. I am thankful my editors are extremely generous in that regard and -- I say this with a smile – would cut out Dagwood for us if necessary.
Sometimes space doesn’t seem to bother the great Editor, the Holy Spirit, either. He allows detail in some unusual places. So, why here? Why all of this detail about one blind man? When we search for those answers, we learn something monumental about how we are to look at and study the Word of God. We can put that lesson we learn into one simple question: Are we not that blind man who must decide whether or not to act in obedience when the Lord gives us a simple command that we do not understand?
The blind man could not have understood the logic behind this whole scene. In fact, he could have protested with a series of high-pitched complaints: Do you have to get this mud all in my eyes? Do you know how far it is to the Pool of Siloam? Do you know how hard it is for me to get all the way over there? Do you know how much income I may lose while I am off on that little excursion?
With these questions on our minds, we’ll leave this blind man right where he is. I’ll let you decide what you think the blind man does and what we are going to do ourselves?
Put simply, today: Are you going to get up promptly and go wash in the pool of Siloam?
Think on it.
Until next week, God bless! (coachbowen1984@gmail.com)
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