The Blind Man

My granddaughter, Lyla Rose, who is almost two, loves to say, “See! See!” when she wants me to show her what I’m doing on the counter. In John 9 we are given a story about a blind man who also wanted to see. Jesus healed him by mixing dirt and saliva to make mud and putting it on his eyes. He then instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. Everyone knew this man had been born blind, so his being healed created quite a commotion when he showed himself to the Pharisees. Twice they called to question him. They even questioned his parents.

This passage tackles two types of blindness: physical and spiritual. When Jesus healed the man physically, He no doubt worked on the pathways in his brain too so that his brain would be able to make sense of what his eyes took in. Sometimes I read Scripture or hear a sermon or sing a worshipful song, but I don’t absorb the meaning. My heart and brain do not take in what my eyes and ears are telling me. They are empty words to me. But I’m working on this. I am training myself to slow down and take in. When do I need this the most? When I am the busiest and most rushed – when I don’t feel like it because my adrenaline is pumping!

Here’s a good exercise: Sit quietly and breathe deeply – breathe in for 5 seconds, hold 5 seconds, release 5 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times or however many times you need to relax. Try it! Sometimes it’s hard! It helps me focus when I need to pray or read Scripture. With so much technology, many of us are having focus problems we never had. It can help with digestion too if you do it at the start of a meal. (My daughter is teaching Lyla Rose to do this whenever she gets inconsolable. She gets her to look at her and then breathes with her. It really helps.)

Once I have relaxed, I’m ready to pay attention to God’s Words. Then it’s time to reread, discuss it with the Lord, ask questions, and follow Spirit-led rabbit trails. We must take time to “see” what God has for us, and He will not be rushed. It might be a matter of saying “no” to good things to make room for better things. Sadly, the Pharisees refused to see; they would not consider something different from what they had always been taught. We are all guilty of that. We close our minds and refuse to listen to others, even God. It’s hard to acknowledge we might be wrong, but it’s good to allow God to challenge our reasoning.

So, let’s practice! These verses are fitting for the stressful times we are currently facing. Breathe deeply, relax, read and reread, discuss it with the Lord, ask questions, and follow Spirit-led rabbit trails. Soak Him in. If we have Him, we have all we need.

Psalm 107: 1-9

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

joyce hague