We all remember the account in John 9, where a man blind since birth hears Jesus declare Himself as the “light of the world,” and then He makes a mud salve, applies it to the closed eyes, and says, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “sent”). The blind man follows these divine directions and is able to see for the first time in his life.
I’ve been to the Pool of Siloam in old
Jerusalem. Millions of tourists have seen that sight, but just think… this site
is the very first thing that blind man ever saw. On that miraculous day, he gained a view of
the world, but more importantly, he gained a new worldview.
In the next part of the story, after decades in darkness, the man who can now see, ascends the stairs still
blinking in the bright light of day. Not yet able to keep his eyes steadily
open, his eyes flash briefly like the shutter of a camera every few steps
through the crowd, and aided by “snapshots” burned into the back of his eyelids, he
returns to the place where the small spot of spittled mud has now dried.
By then Jesus was nowhere to be seen, but the
news of His miracle was heard by the Pharisees. They were livid that a
so-called man of God would violate the Sabbath by healing a blind man in
public. “Obviously,” they said to the blind man, “the person you say healed
your blindness is actually a sinner.”
The healed man forced his eyes to stay open.
The bright sun went behind a cloud, and the glaring Pharisees gradually came
into focus as his eyes continued to adjust. For the first time in his life, he
saw the power of non-verbal communication. He could see the Pharisaical
furrowed brows, the sneering lips, and the pointing finger of the man who asked threateningly: “Do you
agree that the man who did this thing to you is a sinner and not the Christ?”
The reply was candid and classic: “I do not
know all the answers yet. All I know is
I was blind and now I see.” He did
not stop there, however, because along with his vision he was given a new
worldview. “Why do you keep asking these questions? Do you also want to become
His disciples? I have been blind all my life. I can see clearly now. If Jesus
were not of God, He could not have healed my eyes.”
The angry Pharisees, still blind to the Truth, cast
the man from their presence.
Jesus soon found the outcast and asked, in so many words, if “seeing is believing.” The
man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.
In a matter of minutes, the eyesore of the
streets became a “sight for sore eyes” to fellow believers.
Such complete change did not happen with all of
Christ’s miracles. We know that some healed lepers never even said “thank
you.” But the blind man gained not only
his physical sight but spiritual sight
as well. In his case, along with his first view of the world came a new
worldview that lead him to Christ. Knowing the cost before
knowing all the details, he bravely proclaimed the Truth as he saw it.
At the end of John 9, Jesus explains to the Pharisees how the same
events can deepen man’s bias or strengthen his belief. It’s all a question of
how we choose to view the world. We see this happening more than ever in the world around us. The same evidence is embraced or rejected depending on whether you view God as the Creator or as a "cosmic caricature" of man/s invention--whether you think God is a God of order or that life is just a galactic box of BBs spilled. Take for instance the question: "Is Genesis History?" Your understanding of that question will affect your understanding of the rest of Scripture and its role in your worldview.
This spring, the Lord has provided $50,000 for CCS
to purchase the best-developed K-12
Christian school curriculum on the market.
Starting in the fall, these resources will further
empower our long-standing commitment to be fully accredited and academically
competitive while also providing a Biblical worldview in our textbooks, technology upgrades, teacher tools,
and every traveled path we share with the open eyes God gives to those who
believe.
