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The Blind man Testify

 John 9:13-23

Then they took the man to the Pharisees. Now as it happened, this all occurred on a Sabbath. Then the Pharisees asked him all about it. So he told them how Jesus had smoothed the mud over his eyes, and when it was washed away, he could see!

Some of them said, “Then this fellow Jesus is not from God because he is working on the Sabbath.”

Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miracles?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

Then the Pharisees turned on the man who had been blind and demanded, “This man who opened your eyes—who do you say he is?”

“I think he must be a prophet sent from God,” the man replied.

The Jewish leaders wouldn’t believe he had been blind until they called in his parents and asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he see?”

His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know what happened to make him see, or who did it. He is old enough to speak for himself. Ask him.”

They said this in fear of the Jewish leaders who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated.

While the Pharisees conducted investigations and debated about Jesus, people were being healed and lives were being changed. The Pharisees’ skepticism was based not on insufficient evidence, but on jealousy of Jesus’ popularity and his influence on the people.

Sabbath Rest

The Jewish Sabbath, Saturday, was the weekly holy day of rest. The Pharisees had made a long list of specific do’s and don’t’s regarding the Sabbath. Kneading the clay and healing the man were considered work and therefore were forbidden. Jesus may have purposely made the clay in order to emphasize his teaching about the Sabbath—that it is right to care for others’ needs even if it involves working on a day of rest. The Sabbath had two purposes: It was a time to rest and a time to remember what God had done. We need rest. Without the time out from the bustle, life loses its meaning. In our day, as in Moses’ day, taking time out is not easy. Your Sabbath rest may be different from others’; to you, gardening might be restful while someone else would consider it work. Don’t get bogged down in laws and judging. God created a Sabbath for you. He reminds us that without Sabbaths we will forget the purpose for all of our activity and lose the balance crucial to a faithful life. Make sure that your Sabbath provides a time of both refreshment and remembrance of God.

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Jesus heals the man who was born blind

John 8:6-12

Then he spat on the ground and made mud from the spittle and smoothed the mud over the blind man’s eyes, and told him, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam” (the word Siloam means “sent”). So the man went where he was sent and washed and came back seeing!

His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Is this the same fellow—that beggar?”

Some said yes, and some said no. “It can’t be the same man,” they thought, “but he sure looks like him!”

And the beggar said, “I am the same man!”

Then they asked him how in the world he could see. What had happened?

And he told them, “A man they call Jesus made mud and smoothed it over my eyes and told me to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash off the mud. I did, and I can see!”

“Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

The Pool of Siloam was built by Hezekiah. His workers constructed an underground tunnel from a spring outside the city walls to carry water into the city. Thus the people could always get water without fear of being attacked. This was especially important during times of siege (see 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30).

Steps of Faith

Jesus’ miracles were meant to strengthen people’s faith and lead them to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Christ’s miracles were significant, not just because of their power, but because of their purpose—to help, to heal, and to point people to God. This man’s simple act of faith in going to wash, as Jesus instructed, resulted in his restored sight. Faith is a step between promise and assurance. Miracles seem so out of reach for our feeble faith. But every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience. We may not see the solution until we take the first step of faith.

August 17

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Jesus heals the man who was born blind

John 9:1-5

As he was walking along, he saw a man blind from birth.

“Master,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?”

“Neither,” Jesus answered. “But to demonstrate the power of God. All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. But while I am still here in the world, I give it my light.

In chapter 9, we see four different reactions to Jesus. The neighbors revealed surprise and skepticism; the Pharisees showed disbelief and prejudice; the parents believed but kept quiet for fear of excommunication; and the healed man showed a consistent, growing faith.

Suffering

A common belief in Jewish culture was that calamity or suffering was the result of some great sin. But Christ used this man’s suffering to teach about faith and to glorify God. We live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior not always punished. Therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, Jesus has the power to help us deal with it. When you suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask Why did this happen to me? or What did I do wrong? Instead, ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening. 

August 16

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Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God

Luke 13:18-21

Now he began teaching them again about the Kingdom of God: “What is the Kingdom like?” he asked. “How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; soon it grows into a tall bush and the birds live among its branches.

“It is like yeast kneaded into dough, which works unseen until it has risen high and light.”

The mustard plant grows to be quite large; in fact, one of the largest plants in Palestine. And yet its seeds are the tiniest. Jesus’ audience easily understood his illustration.

Let It Grow

The general expectation among Jesus’ hearers was that the Messiah would come as a great king and leader, freeing the nation from Rome and restoring Israel’s former glory. But Jesus said his Kingdom was beginning quietly. Like the tiny mustard seed that grows into an enormous tree, or the spoonful of yeast that makes the bread dough double in size, the Kingdom of God would eventually push outward until the whole world was changed. You are a part of that Kingdom because people have continued to spread the gospel since the days of Christ. What are you doing to continue the growth of the Kingdom?

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Jesus Heals

Luke 13:10-17

One Sabbath as he was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a seriously handicapped woman who had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to straighten herself.

Calling her over to him Jesus said, “Woman, you are healed of your sickness!” He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God!

But the local Jewish leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry about it because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week to work,” he shouted to the crowd. “Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!”

But the Lord replied, “You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath! Don’t you untie your cattle from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water? And is it wrong for me, just because it is the Sabbath day, to free this Jewish woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?”

This shamed his enemies. And all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.

In our fallen world, disease and disability are common. Their causes are many and often multiple—inadequate nutrition, contact with a source of infection, lowered defenses, and even direct attack by Satan. Whatever the immediate cause of our illness, we can trace its original source to Satan, the author of all the evil in our world. The good news is that Jesus is more powerful than any devil or disease.

Why was healing considered work? The religious leaders saw healing as part of a doctor’s profession, and practicing one’s profession on the Sabbath was prohibited. The synagogue ruler could not see beyond the law to Jesus’ compassion in healing this handicapped woman. Jesus shamed him and the other leaders by pointing out their hypocrisy. The Pharisees hid behind their own set of laws to avoid love’s obligations. We too can use the letter of the Law to rationalize away our obligation to care for others (for example, by tithing regularly and then refusing to help a needy neighbor). But people’s needs are more important than rules and regulations. Take time to help others, even if doing so might compromise your public image. 

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 Repent

Luke 13:1-5

About this time he was informed that Pilate had butchered some Jews from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem.

“Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee?” he asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And don’t you realize that you also will perish unless you leave your evil ways and turn to God?

“And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? Not at all! And you, too, will perish unless you repent.”

Whether a person is killed in a tragic accident or miraculously survives is not a measure of righteousness. Everyone has to die; that’s part of being human. But people don’t need to stay dead. Jesus promises that those who believe in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Tough Questions

Pilate may have killed the Galileans because he thought they were rebelling against Rome; those killed by the Tower of Siloam may have been working for the Romans on an aqueduct there. The Pharisees, who were opposed to using force to deal with Rome, would have said that the Galileans deserved to die for rebelling. The Zealots, a group of anti-Roman terrorists, would have said the aqueduct workers deserved to die for cooperating. Jesus said that neither the Galileans nor the workers should be blamed for their calamity. And instead of blaming others, everyone should look to his or her own day of judgment. Death may come at any time. Being a believer doesn’t shield you from death, or even from tragic death. Are you ready to die?

Do you know for sure that you’ll be with the Savior? 

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Jesus warns about the future crisis

Luke 12:54-59

Then he turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.

“When the south wind blows you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. Hypocrites! You interpret the sky well enough, but you refuse to notice the warnings all around you about the crisis ahead. Why do you refuse to see for yourselves what is right?

“If you meet your accuser on the way to court, try to settle the matter before it reaches the judge, lest he sentence you to jail; for if that happens, you won’t be free again until the last penny is paid in full.”

For most of recorded history, the world’s principal occupation was farming. The farmer depended directly on the weather for his livelihood. He needed just the right amounts of sun and rain—not too much, not too little—to make his living, and he grew skilled at interpreting natural signs.

Kingdom Signs

Jesus was announcing an earthshaking event—the coming of God’s Kingdom. Like a rainstorm or a sunny day, there were signs that the Kingdom would soon arrive. But Jesus’ hearers, though skilled at interpreting weather signs, were intentionally ignoring the signs of the times. Jesus’ question could be asked of many today, “Why do you refuse to see for yourselves what is right?” Have you taken Jesus at his word? See for yourself the truth of his words.