The Blind man's controversy (part 1)

Bible Texts (Concordant Version of the Old Testament and Concordant Literal New Testament with keywords Concordance (Main text: John 9:1-3; Exodus 4:10-11)

John Chapter 9:1-3:
1 And, passing along, He perceived a man, blind from birth.
2 And His disciples ask Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but it is that the works of God may be manifested in him.

Exodus Chapter 4:10-11:

10 Then Moses said to Yahweh: O, my Lord! I am no man of words either heretofore, indeed, or since You spoke to Your servant, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue.
11 Yahweh said to him: Who made the mouth for a human or Who is making one mute or deaf or having unclosed eyes or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

It makes me ponder whenever I read 1 Timothy 4:4. Paul let us know that everything Yahweh creates is good. All creations are ideal and nothing should be rejected but should be accepted/embraced with thanksgiving. Genesis 1:31 also tells us that everything Yahweh made is good. This made me ponder more when I was studying John chapter 9 and Exodus chapter 4. There are few things to learn in them. Please, keep your heart opened and I pray you understand the lessons from these scriptures. My main focus will be on John 9 but this week, Exodus chapter 4:10-11 will be examined for more emphasis.

It is another beautiful week and a new month. I hope you are ready to learn. Let us go.

 

Wrong perceptions:

The blind man in John chapter 9 had been in his despondent condition since his birth. One day, Yeshua and his disciples were passing by and they saw this helpless man. What Yeshua’s disciples perceived about this man is what majority of people might say. These people concluded that this blindman was in his condition because of his sin or his parents’ sin. The disciples’ thought was adduced from Exodus 20: 5-6. They believed that children do suffer as a result of their parents’ sins. They also believe that people suffer due to their personal sins. Their conclusions were all sweeping statements. We all perceive people’s bad conditions incorrectly. So, we judge unfairly. We judge based on statistic, data, and information we heard. Sometimes, we forget that we should not judge a book by its cover. We are all guilty of this behavior because are not omnipresent. So, we should be careful to judge others.

Yeshua’s intervention to correct wrong perception:

I am glad that Yeshua was there to correct his disciples. Matthew 7:1 tells us not to judged so that we would not be judged. Yeshua curbed his disciples by simply telling them that the blindman’s helpless condition was not because of his sin or his parents’ sins. Does it mean that they had never committed sin before? No. He was referring to the particular sin that might have resulted to the condition of this helpless man. Yeshua further stated that the poor condition of this man was for Yahweh to manifest his work. What an answer! Does it mean that Yahweh intentionally makes live miserable for some people to manifest his work? Hmn…

 

What a poor condition:

This man had been condemned to this condition since his birth. He was useless to his parents. He had accepted his fate and lived from hands to mouth on the street. You want to tell me that Yahweh was okay with that? Let us assume the man was between 25 and 30 years old at that time. It means he was in this poor condition for a very long time. While I was in a deep thought on this issue, Exodus 4:10-11 popped up on my mind. Yahweh instructed Moses to speak to Pharaoh to let his people go. Moses reminded Yahweh that he was not eloquent in speech. Well, I thought Yahweh should have apologized to Moses for such an oversight. Not a chance! He simply told Moses that he was not making a mistake to send him on this mission. Yahweh was not shy of his deeds. He said he was responsible for Moses’s disability.

 

Yahweh’s ways are not ours:

I am pretty sure; you would not want to send Moses such a huge task with his disability. You would rather heal Moses of his disability before you send him or simply send someone else. Yahweh created Moses to manifest his work to Pharaoh. Yahweh did this to make Pharaoh understand that he makes the weak to confound the strong just as he makes the fools to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27 paraphrased). This further establishes that Isaiah 55:8-9 is true. So, Yeshua’s disciples had to learn that people may be in a bad condition not because of their sins but for Yahweh to manifest his work. This is the beginning of healing brought to this helpless man. He might have probably eavesdropped the conversation Yeshua had with his disciples while he was on the street looking for alms from passersby.

 

How does this apply to you:

Ø  Yahweh creates good, evil, light and dark (Isaiah 45:7). He has control over every creation. He uses them to fulfil his plans. Your situation may be unpleasant currently but he is able to intervene on your condition just as he did to this helpless man. Jeremiah 33:3 is a comforting scripture for you as you call on him to intervene on your condition.

Ø  Do not be offended by public opinion(s) about your situation. They can judge you based on what they have known about you. Some may even call it anything unpleasant. Believe that your time of deliverance will also come.

Ø  Sometimes, we may have concluded that we are suffering because of our sins. However, it may not be so. I will like to discuss this further in the future. Please, see 1 Kings 17:18. We may conclude incorrectly because of our unpleasant condition. It may not be the way we perceive things. Your unpleasant situation may be for corrections, lifesaving (from future danger), destiny fulfilment or blessing in disguise. Our ways are not God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Please, understand that Yahweh is merciful and compassionate.

Ø  In case Yahweh seems not granting your request, he will give you the grace and strength to go through it and become better and wiser (1 Corinthians 10:13). I may write on this more in my future blog.

Ø  Your shortcomings like Moses and this blind man does not deter God’s plans for your life. You will surely deliver the message God has sent you regardless because he will equip you to do so.

Do you think this blind man had a great message to deliver? Oh, yes! You will learn about what this blind man did to humanity in my subsequent blogs. Please, stay tuned.

Grace and Peace!

                                                                  

Sources:

https://www.concordant.org/version/read-concordant-new-testament-online/04-john/

https://www.concordant.org/version/read-concordant-old-testament-online/the-book-of-exodus/

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