Mud In Your Eye

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Romans 12:10

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 1 CHRONICLES 25-27 JOHN 9:1-23

Mud in Your Eye

John, chapter 9, records the story of the blind man who Jesus gave his sight. We need to see how this may show us a spiritual simile. The blind man is like the lost who, when saved, can see. (Second Corinthians 4:4 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”)

The blind man met Jesus. Jesus spit in the dirt and made mud. He put the mud on the man's eyes and told him to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash and the man did it and it says, "..he came home seeing."(verse 7)

The man went to wash-just as he had gone everywhere in his life, so far. He had to use a stick(a rod or staff) to 'feel' his way or someone had to lead him to the water's edge. He did this not knowing if anyone was watching. Nothing mattered but to get to the water and wash. He got there-he washed-he could see.

Spit-mud-righteous instruction-trust-obedience-healing...

This all did not start with just spit. This all started out of God's love. Usually, in almost any culture, spitting in a man's eye is an insult, but, God turned an insult into the blessing of sight:

►But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.(1 Corinthians 1:27)

Jesus had upset the normal. The man could no longer be called 'blind' and the Jews had had nothing to do with it. The man could now go easily anywhere he could walk without help. He was no longer dependent.

But now the questions started. The Jews wanted to know how in the world this could have happened without their knowledge and even on the Sabbath.

The man basically said to the Jews, "I have been around you people all my life and remained blind. Jesus comes along and spits in the dirt and rubs it in my eye on your Sabbath and all of a sudden-I don't need you anymore-I can see.

With all their gold and power, influence and knowledge the Jews couldn't do spit.

Only Jesus can change things for eternal good and use any means...

There may be some things in the course of kingdom work that appear to be 'beneath' some of us, so lest we forget- the same power that healed this blind man saved our souls. God will never ask us to do anything that will not result in His good pleasure-no matter what the world thinks.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me my pride and let me realize the courage to obey always in humility.

Mighty God of grace and strength!

In the name of Jesus,

Amen