Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
On this Sunday (02/04/2024), the Forth Sunday of the blessed month of Tobe, the Church reads John 9:1-38 (These Bible verses are read also at the 6th week during Lent).
In these verses, Jesus and His disciples came across a man born blind. Jesus’ disciples ask if the blindness is a punishment from God for the sin of this man or his parents. Jesus, however, explains that the man’s blindness has a higher purpose; to show the glory of God in his life (John 9:1-5). Jesus made mud, anointed the man’s eyes, and this man was able to see after washing in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7). The man’s neighbors and the Pharisees interrogated him & his parents repeatedly, but he persisted in his true testimonial that he was blind, and the man called Jesus cured him. At this point he was cast out of the temple (John 9:8-34). Finally, Jesus came to him and asked him if he believes in the Son of Man, to which he said “Lord, I believe” after finding out it was Jesus who restored his eyesight (John 9:37-38).
There are many takeaways from this passage, but we will focus on two; first revealing the reason for the Lords coming to us, and the second is how Jesus is both fully man and fully Divine.
Father Tadros Malaty contemplates on the earlier verses and the reason for the Lord coming to earth that it is for our salvation and “to open the inner sight so that the believers could comprehend the mysteries of God…. Those believers who were too blind to see remained in their spiritual blindness and sinfulness. When the Pharisees casted the man born blind from the Temple (John 9:34), they casted the Lord out too out from their hearts, ignoring what the Lord said in the previous chapter “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(John 8:12)
The next takeaway from this Gospel is that through the healing of the man born blind by our Lord, we are able to see that He is fully human and fully divine, that Jesus is the God incarnate. This is affirmed In John 9:5-7 when the Lord said “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Further, when Jesus made mud and “Created” the eyes for the man born blind (John 9:6), He is repeating the creation of Adam from “dust from the ground.” (Genesis 2:7)
May God continue to open our eyes and the eyes of all believers to see the Lord’s light and glorify Him for all His blessings and in every happening in our lives.
Sources:
- John 9:1-38 ESV – Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind – Bible Gateway
- Commentaries on the Gospel of St. John by Father Tadros Malaty