FORWARD

Scripture from (old) New English Bible

We cannot count the many who were healed by the ministry of JESUS, nor can we post them here.  The examples of healing posted here are to show how perfect and complete, how inclusive and broad based.  And under what conditions Jesus made crippled people whole.  Mark 3: V7-V12 details Jesus’ success. <below>

Jesus’ Healing was both a fulfillment of prophecy and a sign of the Promised Messiah.

Luke 4: V18-V21 writes about Jesus teaching about his own fulfillment of prophecy.  (Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath day in the Synagogue at Nazareth.) He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and opened it to read.

The following passage:

He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and all eyes in the Synagogue were fixed on him.

      He began to speak:  ‘Today’, he said, ‘in your very hearing this text has Come true.’

Now, we will look more closely at some of Jesus Heals detail: of time, place, and the problems addressed.

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JESUS HEALS, Part 1A

‘THE MAN BORN BLIND’

JOHN Chapter 9: verses 1-41

(OLD, New English Version)

NEWCOMB

This is perhaps, the greatest example of JESUS’ healing ministry.

The narrative is classic, the strong characters display the Glory of God.

Then Jesus left the temple, and as he went on his way Jesus saw a man blind from his birth.  His disciples put the question, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?  Why was he born blind?’  ‘It is not that this man or his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered;  ‘he was born blind so that God’s power might be displayed in curing him.  While daylight lasts we must carry on the work of him who sent me. Night comes, when no one can work.  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’

V6 With these words he spat on the ground and made a paste with the spittle and spread it on the man’s eyes, and said to him,  ‘Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.’  (The name means, sent.)  The man went away and washed, and when he returned he could see.

V8 His neighbors and those who were accustomed to see him begging said, is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’  Others said, ‘ Yes this is the man.’  Others again said, ‘No but it is someone like him.  The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’  They asked him,  ‘How were your eyes opened?’  He replied, ‘the man called Jesus made a paste and smeared my eyes with it, and told me to go to Siloam and wash.  I went and washed, and gained my sight.’  Where is he?’ they asked.  He answered  ‘ I do not know.’

 V 13 The man who had been blind was brought before the Pharisees.  As it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened his, eyes, the Pharisees now asked him by what means he had gained his sight.  The man told them, He spread a paste on my eyes; then I washed, and now I can see.’  Some, of the Pharisees said,’ This fellow is no man of God; he does not keep the Sabbath.’  Others said.’ How could such signs come from a sinful man?’  So they took different sides.  Then they continued to question him: ‘what do you have to say about him?  It was your eyes he opened.’  He answered, He is a prophet.’

V18 The Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had summoned his parents and questioned them: ‘Is this man your son?  Do you say he was born blind?  How is it that he can see now?’  The Parents replied, ’we know that he is our son, and that he was born blind.

But how it is that he can now see, or who opened his eyes, we do not know.  Ask him, he is of age.  He will speak for himself.’ V22 His parents gave this answer because they were afraid of the Jews:  For the JEWISH authorities had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah should be banned from the synagogue. That is why the parents said, He is of age ask him.’

 V24 So, for the second time they summoned the man who had been blind, and said, ’Speak the truth before God.  We know that this fellow is a sinner.’

‘Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know’, the man replied,’ All I know is this; once I was blind, now I can see.’  ‘What did he do to you?’ they asked.  ‘How did he open your eyes?’  ‘I have told you already,’ he retorted, but you took no notice.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become his disciples?’  Then they became abusive.  ‘You are that man’s disciple,’ they said, ‘but we are disciples of Moses, but for this fellow, we do not know where he comes from.’

V30 The man replied,’ What an extraordinary thing!  Here is a man who has opened my eyes, yet you do not know where he comes from!  It is common knowledge that God does not listen to sinners; he listens to anyone who is devout and obeys his will.  To open the eyes of a man born blind- it is un-heard of since time began.’  If that man had not come from God he could have done nothing.’ ‘Who are you to give us lessons,’ they retorted, ‘born and bred in sin as you are?’  Then they expelled him from the synagogue

V34 Jesus heard that they had expelled him.  When he had found him he asked

‘Have you faith in the Son of Man?’   The man answered ‘Tell me who he is, sir, that I should put my faith in him.’ ‘You have seen him ‘ said Jesus; ‘indeed, it is he who is speaking to you.’  ‘Lord, I believe’, he said, and bowed before him.

V39 Jesus said, ’It is for judgement that I have come into this world- to give sight

To the sightless and to make blind those who see.’ ‘Some Pharisees in his company asked, ‘Do you mean that we are blind?’ < If you were blind,’ said Jesus,’ you would not be guilty, but because you say, ”We see”, your guilt remains.

The Blind man was denied the Temple because he was blind.

The healed man, now sighted, is expelled from the synagogue because he sees!

He is now the living Sign that Jesus was sent by the Father.

Now, we will go back over this story to better understand its setting and the thinking of its characters.

First, Jesus has arrived at Israel’s key city, Jerusalem.  He has just been teaching in its most Holy Place, The Temple.  Teaching its most influent and well educated, men, called Pharisees. (Experts in law.)  This group has been divided and distressed about Jesus and his teaching.  And has recently threatened Him.  Jesus has just left the Temple as the two key characters meet for the first time:

Jesus and the blind beggar meet in the open on a public, dirt road. They were both unwelcome in town. (Blind, crippled, deformed, sick and needy people and women were not permitted access into the temple, proper.)

The disciples see this blind man as beyond help and only as an object lesson.

Jesus sets aside a common assumption that continues to our time. That being, if there is a birth defect, conge-natal malformation, we can assign fault, (sin) to the impregnation, or some other reason.

We will profit if we can see this incomplete man, *designed by God, as ourselves, also standing by the road waiting for Jesus to make us whole!  Opening our eyes to Salvation.  (Also to the Glory of God.)

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This story moves so fast, we pause to note that the man isn’t seeking help or looking to Jesus for it. (From his later testimony, we hear that he hasn’t heard of Jesus or of any example of a Born Blind healing.)

This man has been blind into adulthood.  Now Jesus doesn’t wait a minute of the Sabbath day to reach for mud.  Jesus’ short lesson on His mission of being the Light of the World is given as his fingers are soiled for this coming miracle.

(This may be taken as reason or not waiting until Legal sundown to heal this man.)  The reader is to equate darkness with blindness

With no word of explanation or of accord, Jesus, immediately prepares to heal this, blind from birth, man.  With no spoken word or vision, the blind man knows what is happening and is able to explain it to others, over and over again.  The SIGN is simple and made in public, exposed to all.  The Miracle is Jesus. He is the Miracle.  The Sign is, that, He was sent by the Father. (Jesus is the Healing Ingredient.)

NOTE: To these people, Blind from Birth meant, he never had, had vision.  His vision was not lost, damaged or limited. His Vision was missing.  There was no sight to recover.  (The blind man said, “Recovery for this has never happened.”)

*This Blind man is an example of what was meant in Ephesians 2, V10 (posted on the Home Page)  A good-work designed by God, for which we are designed to do!                               ----------------------------------------------

(Jesus’ paste of clay reminds us of our own mortality and of Adam at Creation.)

This is a beautiful story, to be taken at face value. ( It was referenced at the raising of Lazarus.)

NW

ANTILOGUE for HEALING the BLIND FROM BIRTH

Please Notice:  Clay was not placed into the eyes.  The clay was washed away, before the eyes were opened for sight.

The point of this story is the PROOF of the DEITY of Jesus

When the healed man was expelled, Jesus looked for him, and introduced himself.  And said, “You have seen Him.”  The man realizes that this is the one called Jesus who gave him vision and sees Him as Lord, saying,                ‘LORD, I believe.