The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 9:1-7, “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he
would be born blind?’
3 Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so
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 one 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). So
he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”

Reading this passage reminds me when I had my first ophthalmic surgery. It wasn’t
that I couldn’t see; rather, it was that my head was hurting and nothing helped. My
darling wife suggested that I see an eye surgeon –my son! The hurt was somehow
connected with my eye, and a short, quick laser shot or two did the trick!

Not to speak against my son (or against any other ophthalmic surgeon), but Jesus
was quicker when he healed the blind man in our verses above. Nobody is going
to object if you see a doctor about your eyes; but the Pharisees (and there are
always Pharisees about!) complained not about the healing, but that it was done on
the Sabbath! Picky, picky!

The Pharisees so reveared the Sabbath that nothing else mattered. There is value
in our keeping the LORD’s Day. Chic-fil-a closes on Sunday out of reverence for the
LORD’s Day. Years ago, when I was in evangelism, I often had to purchase fuel for
my car on Sunday. Hospitals, emergency personnel, police officials –all have to
occasionally work on Sunday. They don’t work in irreverence to the LORD, but out
of necessity.

I’ve seen the Pool of Siloam in Israel. It’s not water with which I would long to be
washed. Still, seeing (or healing) on any day is superior to pain. I have to wonder
what those Pharisees would have done, had Jesus’ healing been for them!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom