Yesterday, I talked about how Jesus healed a blind man by making mud from spittle, putting it on the man’s eyes, and then telling him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. He did so and received sight. Oh, the drama of the moment when Jesus spit on the ground and made mud. It was definitely an unusual way to be healed, but it worked.
As I prayed about what to share tonight, I thought about the ten lepers and how their experience with Jesus differed from that of the blind man. Jesus came across the lepers as he was walking through a city. They were a short distance away but collected their voices and cried out, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Jesus didn’t touch them, nor did He pray over them. He simply said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” There weren’t any signs that they were healed. Their healing hinged not on what they saw but on following through on what Jesus told them to do.
I can imagine the enemy offering up mental roadblocks that might have sounded like this: “Look who’s watching you walk away from Jesus the same. You still look the same. See, you cried out for nothing! Common sense says, why go to the priest when you still looked like lepers!!”
There wasn’t anything they could see that showed healing had begun. But they didn’t need to see anything. They just had to start walking toward the priest.
The blind man made his way to the pool. He didn’t need to see to get to the pool of Siloam. Maybe the enemy taunted his mind as he followed his instructions: “You look ridiculous with mud on your eyes. This is senseless and you’ve been made a laughing stock.”
He’d been blind since birth, and now, as a grown man, he was used to making it through life in the dark. Whether he had a stick, someone to escort him, or he simply knew the route, he made it to the pool, and everything about his life shifted. He was no longer the blind beggar! He received his much-needed shift because he didn’t fight any portion of the process. Lord, help me not to wince at the steps You call for me to take to get what I need (strength, peace, deliverance, spiritual growth, correction, etc).
Both situations screamed for Jesus to move. I’ve been in the position of a leper/blind man – that place where only God can solve the problem. And I am so happy that Jesus will meet us at our points of need. He isn’t afraid of how long we’ve been in need, who is around to critique the process, or how we may feel about the journey. Don’t stand still when God has said step out, and don’t be thrown by the method the Lord chooses to utilize for your deliverance!
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said , Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass , that, as they went , they were cleansed . (Luke 17:12-14 KJV)
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 13They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.John 9:1-38 (KJV)
In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)