The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 9:1-7, “And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?’

3 Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.

4 ‘We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work.

5 ‘While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’

6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,

7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam ” (which is translated, Sent). And so, he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”

The most complex part of the human body is the eye. And when the disciples saw this blind man, they were curious to know why he was born blind. Had the man sinned? or had his parents sinned? What had caused the man’s blindness? How they knew the man was blind from birth, the text does not tell us. Yet, Jesus did not challenge that aspect of their question.

God is never complicit with evil. He created the entire universe, including man, without any sin or imperfection. Adam’s sin had brought imperfection into the world. The disciples knew this, so it was natural that they should ask what caused the man’s blindness. Jesus’ answer was “that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Jesus then spat on the ground, mingled His spit with clay, and applied it to the eyes of the blind man, saying, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” Why would He direct the blind man to do that?

Could He not simply have said, “See!” and the man be instantly healed of his blindness? It seems that Jesus was giving the man a test to discover whether he truly believed he could be healed. Doctors today treat our illnesses by giving us medicine to take to aid in the healing. Whether we actually take the medicine is left to us. If we do take it, we soon find that it helps us. But, if we don’t take it, our troubles continue. Thus, the washing in the pool of Siloam became a test of the man’s faith in Jesus!

Jesus still gives tests. Do we really want what we ask of Him? If we do, we’ll follow His instructions because they are the test of whether we truly believe Him. Incidentally, the word for “seeing” (?????) also means “perceiving” or “understanding.” So, when we obey the LORD’s instructions, He gives us insight and greater understanding of Himself, of His Word, and of His will and purpose for our lives. You can know more than you do! Just believe!

We are praying for you to know more; pray for us to know more, as well,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”