9:1 Our talents as well as our shortcomings, our abilities as well as our disabilities, are orchestrated by God as tools with which we make our impact on the world. Our creator is resourceful, just as every element of our universe is a pillar or sibling to another in order to create more complex life, every element of our character, body and mind can be a pillar to another person or idea.
This particular man is blind. In scripture, his blindness serves as a symbol of guiltless faithlessness. Jesus will allow this man to see, will offer His love, healing and guidance to the man and then will allow the man choose to douse his life in what was proffered.
In his actual life, in the context of the time, this particular man's blindness serves as a living example of how God loves and works with and through the humble and disregarded. God works with the humble because the trait of humility requires a human to be kind, thoughtful, perceptive and productive. A human with these traits is the exact type of soul God recognizes and loves. These traits enable a human to be quite extraordinarily gifted in promoting, creating and fostering compassion in their families, neighborhoods, communities, regions...in the world.
Humans often underestimated the seemingly feeble. Contrarily, God knows that a strong soul is a resilient spirit and when the core of a human being is courageous and kind, God exhibits through that person that a kind spirit is able and essential in doing amazing things. It's a bold testimony when God enables a meek, disregarded human to change the world with an idea.
We are expertly placed. Our particular situations, experiences and locations are meant to prod out our humanity. Wherever each of us is, we have the opportunity to use our circumstances to send a message. The message we choose to send is entirely our decision. Even, sometimes especially, our misfortunes enable us to be inspirations to others.
9:2 There was a widely-believed misconception at the time: people believed that disabilities were inherited punishments. In this context of time, medical knowledge was nearly non-existent. People did not understand the concepts of DNA or germ. Therefore, instead of to science, they attributed ailment to fantasies of demons or punishment.
9:3 Jesus explains that not only is the man not being punished, but he's actually been gifted by God. Imagine that -- Jesus turned the connotation of illness from awful to awesome. Works of God are revealed through unexpected people. God loves all of His children and the children who suffer are jam-packed with His plan. Not only do they serve as living inspirations to others but they are also souls who encourage and give opportunity for other people to show and give action to their compassion.
This man may have become a teacher of the philosophy of God, might have taught about the first and second advent of Jesus, about the events planned for earth... but each human consciously and also unconsciously serves as a testimony.
9:4 This man was an integral part of Jesus' purpose -- his life was one of Jesus' works to do. So many lessons are taught by this man's life... 1) ailment is not punishment, 2) disability gives opportunity for ability 3) love and guidance from God are healing 4) productivity of kindness are the work to do for God. Jesus has many of these lessons to teach and He reminds them (and us) that His time to do so is limited. With the wisdom of God made available by Jesus for the entire earth through generation, Jesus was to return back to God...
As we discussed in prior books (Matthew, Mark and Luke) for a time, another teacher will come to the earth -- a teacher with the exact opposite message of Jesus'. During such time, the works done by humanity will be nearly completed, we each will have cemented our works (by way of living our lives). The time for working with God is now.
9:5 Jesus remains in the world as long as He remains in even just one soul's heart. The spirit of God is throughout the world, in nature and every act of kindness. The light from Jesus is each soul with compassion, living with the philosophy of God in their heart.
Jesus is explaining to us: as long as you are with me, I am with you, lighting your way.
9:6 This is symbolic of Jesus using the very elements of Himself to proffer love, guidance and healing.
9:7 When the philosophy of God is offered to you, the second (and crucial step) is to accept it and let it course through our lives. Jesus did His part... the man (and we) still had to make the decision to do ours. Relationships of faith with God are a mutual effort.
9:8 People were astonished. They expected nothing from this previously-blind man. God never underestimates His children. God has amazing plans for all of us if we wish to take them on.
9:9 There's gossip and disbelief that a man they believed to be useless became an instrumental child of God, his sight healed -- but also his mind and philosophy of life cleansed and guided.
9:10 This verse is symbolic of the man's testimony. When people see an unlikely soul triumph, it serves as a message and inspiration to others. Part of this man's purpose was the inspire and gather new children of God -- having seen the amazing and kind works of God, they began their own journeys of faith.
9:11 Faith is exhibited here. The man recounts his conversation and time with Jesus precisely. Not only that -- the man had faith. Jesus told the man that if he agreed with the philosophy He taught, he could trust that it would heal him. With faith (and no tangible proof), the man followed Jesus' advice. By faith, he became the tangible proof. Fulfilling yet another of God's plans.
9:12 Jesus kept moving. He did not loiter around for fame or appreciation. He was not a circus show. Jesus was productive, determined, and motivated. Immediately upon completing one of His works, He began another... in another place, with another person. He passionately wanted to help and guide as many people as He could. Pure compassion drove Jesus in complete humility to be at the service of humanity every second of His time here on earth.
9:13-15 The Pharisees are back with their illogical arguments. They were displeased with Jesus because He broke on of their rules: no healing on certain days. This might seem preposterous to you, that they would get away with such a common-senseless rule -- but remember that even today, many church leaders get away with blatant hypocrisy and non-logic.
9:16 A wiser group makes a perceptive observation: a sinful person does not do compassionate acts. Rather than become stuck in the murky waters of senseless rules, these people observe Jesus' behavior in determining the state of His character. He isn't doing anything wrong -- in fact, He's doing everything right.
9:17-19 Rather than rejoice at this man's healing, the Pharisees exhaustively use their time and others' time to try to discredit the story.
9:20-21 Not yet having developed their strength and faith through Jesus, the parents are afraid to recount the story their son experienced to the Pharisees. This is how the Pharisees ruled over people -- through fear. Jesus was working to break down their corrupt systems are they were most unhappy about it.
The parents, however, do tell the truth: they claim the man as their son and they assure that he was indeed born blind.
9:16 A wiser group makes a perceptive observation: a sinful person does not do compassionate acts. Rather than become stuck in the murky waters of senseless rules, these people observe Jesus' behavior in determining the state of His character. He isn't doing anything wrong -- in fact, He's doing everything right.
9:17-19 Rather than rejoice at this man's healing, the Pharisees exhaustively use their time and others' time to try to discredit the story.
9:20-21 Not yet having developed their strength and faith through Jesus, the parents are afraid to recount the story their son experienced to the Pharisees. This is how the Pharisees ruled over people -- through fear. Jesus was working to break down their corrupt systems are they were most unhappy about it.
The parents, however, do tell the truth: they claim the man as their son and they assure that he was indeed born blind.
9:22-23 The parents were afraid. They did not want their son to be punished, not even at the expense of the truth. What a horrible way to live -- this is exactly why Jesus was so purposeful and determined. He did not want God's children to live in such a fretful way.
9:24-25 The man does not want to become involved in the escalating battle of the Pharisees against Jesus. He boldly admits what he knows to be true: Jesus healed him.
9:26-27 The Pharisees' interrogation is unending. They search and toil to find fault with Jesus but they cannot. Exasperated, the healed man insinuates that, evidenced by all of the desperate questions, the Pharisees seem to want to become students of Jesus themselves.
9:28-29 Clinging to their argument of being students of the Old Testament, they neglect to see that Jesus is an integral part of even Moses' life. Their faith is false and formulaic, if they truly believed in Moses, they would also believe in the kind and familiar acts of Jesus (who existed even before Moses, with God).
One thing they are correct in: highlighting their difference and separation from Jesus and the philosophy of God He is spreading throughout the world.
Their faith is false and formulaic for this reason: in Deuteronomy 18:15, Jesus' life as a prophet on earth is foretold by God. Obviously these men claim to be of God but are not... they do not even know (or follow!) the scripture they claim to cherish.
9:30-33 Finally, the man must make known the truth of his observations: God listens to the kindhearted and heals them (often in unexpected ways). If you do His will (living with compassion) He hears every word you say and even think. Never before on earth (and never since) has a person been able to heal any and every ailment effortlessly... Jesus' life and actions were loud and clear evidence of His being a prophet.
9:34 Arrogant and stubborn, desperate to cling onto their false claims of holiness and power, the Pharisees excommunicated the man. These people (types of which still exist today) do not have any compassion or value for the disabled, the humble, the meek. They believe they are better than the healed man... but how could they possibly be?
Be observant. A wise person always admits that they have more to learn. We are all students: of God, of nature, of life. We must never become too impressed with our own intellect -- we could not even possibly exist without a creator. Moreover, we must cherish and protect the lives of others as much as we cherish and protect our own (we must cherish and protect them even more). Through healing others, we heal ourselves.
Be observant because you can always determine the character of a person by seeing how they behave with and treat others. A person's words are weak but their actions are strong indications of who they truly are.
9:35-38 It's easy for this man to accept Jesus as the Son of God because Jesus is the living embodiment of everything God stands for. The man is thrilled, eager and quick to show and proclaim his love and faith.
9:39 Jesus speaks of the symbol that this message is: God brings clarity to the blind of faith. He brings truth to those we cannot see it without being guided to it. Jesus' life bolstered the feeble with wisdom, love and courage and simultaneously dismantled the power of the deceitful oppressors (this exemplified in the symbol of them losing their sight).
9:40 The blindness Jesus is teaching us in this chapter is spiritual blindness: the inability to see the compassionate philosophy of God. In this way, the Pharisees are indeed blind.
9:41 This verse is quite deep, let's explore it: if the Pharisees were innocently blind (not yet aware or presented with the the knowledge and understanding of the compassionate way to live) they would be forgiven and guided by God. Yet, the Pharisees know that their actions are hateful and wrong and yet they commit their atrocities and deceits anyway. They proclaim to know everything... and since they claim to know everything, that means they know better... yet choose not to live that way.
They are deliberately evil, selfish and manipulating. When a person knows good and bad, but chooses bad, they become responsible for, and guilty of, their actions.
To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48): when you know good from bad (are given the spiritual-wisdom to discern the two), you are quite expected to do much GOOD. Their sin remains because they know better but choose bad. They Pharisees also have a lot of power and wealth and they are therefore expected to use it wisely and compassionately, but they do not. We are responsible for how we live our lives -- and that statement should make a kind person very happy.
9:39 Jesus speaks of the symbol that this message is: God brings clarity to the blind of faith. He brings truth to those we cannot see it without being guided to it. Jesus' life bolstered the feeble with wisdom, love and courage and simultaneously dismantled the power of the deceitful oppressors (this exemplified in the symbol of them losing their sight).
9:40 The blindness Jesus is teaching us in this chapter is spiritual blindness: the inability to see the compassionate philosophy of God. In this way, the Pharisees are indeed blind.
9:41 This verse is quite deep, let's explore it: if the Pharisees were innocently blind (not yet aware or presented with the the knowledge and understanding of the compassionate way to live) they would be forgiven and guided by God. Yet, the Pharisees know that their actions are hateful and wrong and yet they commit their atrocities and deceits anyway. They proclaim to know everything... and since they claim to know everything, that means they know better... yet choose not to live that way.
They are deliberately evil, selfish and manipulating. When a person knows good and bad, but chooses bad, they become responsible for, and guilty of, their actions.
To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48): when you know good from bad (are given the spiritual-wisdom to discern the two), you are quite expected to do much GOOD. Their sin remains because they know better but choose bad. They Pharisees also have a lot of power and wealth and they are therefore expected to use it wisely and compassionately, but they do not. We are responsible for how we live our lives -- and that statement should make a kind person very happy.
