1/17/10 Encountering Jesus - The Blind Man
(Excerpts were taken from “Encounters with Christ” James W. Moore, 2001.) Read John 9 about how Jesus heals the blind man. Jesus is asked, "Who sinned? This man or his parents?"
When the disciples see the blind man, they see something to discuss, but when Jesus sees him, He sees something to do. He spits on the ground and makes clay of the spittle and then He anoints the man's eyes with the clay.
The word, the original Greek uses here for "anoints," is the same word it uses for the word "Christ" which, of course, means "The Anointed One.“ He Anoints the man's eyes! He "Christs" the man's eyes!
The man is healed, but instead of rejoicing, the pharisees interrogate his parents and the man himself. Eventually, they kick him out. Jesus looks for the man and offers him hope.
Notice the way the healed man refers to Jesus. Notice the growth. There is a magnificent progression here as he sees more and more clearly. Look at this...
First, he refers to Jesus as a Man. He says "The man Jesus did this for me." Next, He calls Jesus a Prophet. He says: "To be able to do this he must be a Prophet." Then in that intimate moment at the end he sees Him as the Son of God. And finally, he claims Him as "The Lord of His Life."
Look at this now. The closer he gets to Jesus, the more time he spends with Jesus, the clearer he sees God! And that's the way it works for us, too, because you see, that's what it means to have Christ-ed eyes.
Have your eyes been Christ-ed? Can you see with the vision of our Lord? Have your eyes been anointed with the spirit of Christ?