Now I See

“As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind since birth” (John 9:1).

Perfectly orchestrated by God, Jesus slowed His steps until he stood in front of the blind man, who had lived without hope his entire life.

His disciples couldn’t resist asking Him whether the man’s blindness was the result of the man’s sin or his parents’ sins.

Jesus answered them, “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins. This [man’s blindness] happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (John 10:3).

Silently, Jesus spit on the ground and used his saliva to create mud. Lifting His arms, He carefully spread the mud on the blind man’s eyes. Next came His gentle words, “Go wash yourself in the Pool of Siloam” (John 10:7).

Let’s pause and put ourselves in his place…you have mud spread over your eyes. You wonder, what are people thinking about me? What if nothing happens? I’ll be an even bigger fool if I’m still blind.”

Yet, with fragile faith, the man clung to the arm of his helper as they ambled toward the Pool of Siloam. Once there, perhaps a kind soul reached in his robe, withdrew a cloth, and placed it in the assistant’s hand. After leading him down the steps to the water and saturating the cloth, the man’s companion softly wiped the brown mud from one closed eye and then the other.

The silent crowd waited. With hope filling his heart, the man gradually opened both eyes. A brilliant smile spread across his weathered face as he began his assent.

Can’t you imagine the commotion in the crowd when they saw him climb out of the pool by himself?

Though accustomed to staying in the shadows, he couldn’t resist raising his arms and shouting, “I can see! I can see!”

This joyful scene always reminds me of the chorus a group of my college friends and I enjoyed singing, along with gestures, “Walking, and leaping, and praising God; walking, and leaping, and praising God. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazarene, rise up and walk.” Though these words referred to the lame man’s miracle, we always envisioned the blind man jumping and leaping and praising God for the miracle of his sight!

Amazing symbolism is embodied in that unforgettable day. Jesus didn’t instruct the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam simply because it was the only source of fresh water within the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

God directed Him to choose the Pool of Siloam because Siloam means “sent.” Two people envisioned the significance this way:

The blind man was sent to a pool called “Sent”
by the One who was Himself sent by God into the world.

The One sent by God to be our Savior used the Pool
of “Sent”
to prove that He is the Light of the World.

After the healed man returned, he had no time to celebrate his miracle. His neighbors and others who knew him didn’t believe his story and debated among themselves. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders constantly bombarded him with intense questions and angry accusations.

Worn out, his only recourse was to tell the truth: “I don’t know whether he is a sinner. But I know this: I was blind and now I can see?” (John 9:25).

As time passed by, this underprivileged man began to reply to questions with wisdom only God could have supplied. One day he announced to the leaders, “Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” (John 9:32-33).

Enraged, his accusers shouted at him, “Are you trying to teach us?” (John 9:34). Then they threw him out of the synagogue.

Later, when Jesus heard what happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35).

The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him,” (John 9:36).

“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” (John 9:37).

“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said and He worshiped Jesus. (John 9:38).

Jesus had already performed His miraculous physical healing. The man’s eyes were probably still bright with wonder. However, during this conversation, a greater healing had taken place. The moment the man declared, “Yes, Lord, I believe,” the Light of the World filled his heart, soul, and mind, and changed his life forever.

As we consider how God rescued us from an ordinary existence that would have left us without hope of eternal life, may we say with the blind man, “Once I was blind but now I see.”

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens
and earth by your strong hand
and powerful arm.

Nothing is too hard for You!”
Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT)

Have you been faced with something in your life you thought was impossible to overcome and God provided an unexpected solution? Thank God as you recall your amazing experience and share it with others. Why not begin now by leaving your comment in the box below?

The Imperfect Pot

Here's an alt tag for the image: Brown clay pot on gravel.

This endearing story that I saved many years ago popped up in one of my folders this week. Perhaps someone will discover something very important today. 

A water bearer in India had two large pots; each hung on an end of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The cracked pot always arrived only half full.

Each day for two years, the water bearer delivered only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, fulfilling to perfection the role for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and felt miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been created to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said sadly.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot. With compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house today, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. This cheered the pot some, but at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load. So again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bear said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without your being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Actually, all of us are "cracked pots" with unique flaws. Our response to that fact is crucial to what we will become. If we realize our potential, in spite of our imperfections, we naturally reach forward. If we focus on our imperfections, we tend to compare ourselves with others, leading to the false belief that we have nothing to offer. This mindset deceives us into feeling unimportant or insignificant. 

By simply acknowledging our imperfections and moving forward, we will discover that we, like the imperfect pot, can be the cause of beauty. Just as the water bearer saw the unique contribution the imperfect pot could make in pleasing the king, so God sees our full potential and will help us bring pleasure to Him and become a source of beauty to others here on earth. 

[Source unknown]

The Motherly Ways of God

How Many Kings

An ornate gold throne with red velvet.

My clock radio awakened me with a song I’d never heard before: “How Many Kings.” I laid still, mesmerized by the words.

Once I began working on my computer that morning, I found the link to the original video performed by Downhere. As I watched the lead singer pour out his heart, he became lost in the words just as I had. The rest of the day I kept singing the song, because it brought me straight to the manger. The baby lying there reminded me of all Jesus had given up to make sure I could receive God’s precious gift of salvation.

You may already be familiar with this song, but I want to present these words in black and white and give you a moment to once again ponder the significance of the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ.


Follow the star to a place unexpected

Would you believe, after all we’ve projected

A child in a manger?

Lowly and small, the weakest of all

Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother’s shawl

Just a child

Is this who we’ve waited for?

 

‘Cause how many kings step down from their thrones

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

And how many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

 

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior

All that we have, whether costly or meek

Because we believe

Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure

And myrrh for the cross He will suffer

Do you believe?

Is this who we’ve waited for?

 

How many kings step down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

And how many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me

 

Oh, all for me, oh

All for me, all for you

All for me, all for you

 

Nothing but this song is on my heart to give you today. May your personal celebration of Jesus Christ take on greater meaning as you ponder all He did for you.

For today in the city of David

There has been born for you

A Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: 

you will find a baby wrapped in cloths,

and lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:11-12)

The Empty Tomb

The three women went quickly to the tomb with cloth-wrapped spices in their arms to anoint the body of their friend and Master, Jesus (Mark 15).

Wondering how they would remove the stone themselves, they were shocked to see it already rolled away. Uncertain what they’d find, they entered the tomb slowly and saw a young man in a white robe sitting inside.

He greeted them, “Do not be amazed; You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here.”

The man instructed the women to go and tell Jesus’ disciples and Peter that Jesus was going to Galilee and would see them there. The women fled from the tomb, “trembling and astonished,” eager to tell them the good news.

In John’s account (chapter 20), Mary Magdalene went to the tomb by herself early while it was still dark. Finding the stone rolled away, she hurried to tell Peter and John. They both ran ahead of her to the tomb and went inside. John relates that he “saw and believed.”

After the men left for their homes, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb, weeping. When she stooped to look into the tomb, she saw two angels, one sitting at the head and another at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying.

The angels asked Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Turning, she noticed a man, who also asked why she was weeping. When she answered, the man spoke her name, “Mary.” The scales fell from Mary’s eyes and she reached out to cling to her risen Lord.

After this earth-shattering encounter, Mary ran to announce to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.”

Can you imagine Mary’s heart bursting with joy and wonder? She’d just seen her risen Lord! Her sorrow of finding the tomb empty evaporated when she reaized He was alive!

  • What might you have thought when you saw the stone rolled away and discovered the tomb empty?
  • What emotions might have erupted inside you when the man in a white robe told you, “He is not here. He has risen.” Who would you have run to tell?
  • If you had been Mary Magdalene, what thoughts might have run through your mind when you saw two angels perched beside the burial cloths—a confirmation that Jesus was no longer there. What would you have said?
  • And what about when you recognized Jesus! What would you have felt, or said to Him, or done?
  • Who would you have run to, shouting, “I have seen the Lord”?
  • How might your life have been changed?

I can’t imagine what my life would be like, or what kind of person I would be today, if it weren’t for the empty tomb, the ultimate proof of Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s willingness to pay my debt in full, by being crucified on the cross, is the only way I am able to live in freedom. Because of Christ’s death, the veil was removed, and I gained access to His Father. My personal relationship with my Abba Father breathes life into my spirit and soul, and gives me strength to live each day for Him. He is the only One who can fulfill my needs, wants, and desires. No person and no created thing can satisfy the longings of my heart. God has provided a way for me to experience His grace daily and to live the kind of life He ordained for me. For the rest of my days on earth, I will sing of my love and gratitude to God for saving me.

On this Resurrection Sunday, and in the days that follow . . .

May we realize in a new and deeper way what the empty tomb symbolizes for us personally. Forgiveness for all our sins…past, present, future. Freedom to have a personal relationship with God without a veil between us. Privilege to bare our hearts to Him, sure of His understanding, forgiveness and counsel. Let’s joyfully celebrate the new life we have because of Jesus Christ.

May we also hear Jesus Christ commissioning us with these words: “Go and tell others.” We have a story of new life that others need to hear. It may be a neighbor, a service person who comes to our home, someone at the fitness center where we work out, a teacher, a coworker. People listen to stories. We have the most important story to tell. Everyone who is not living a redeemed life needs to hear that Jesus loves them and wants to know them personally.  

What does the empty tomb mean for you?

The empty tomb to the child of God means that
sin’s ability to keep us from God is empty,
death’s power to separate us from God is empty,
and anything in this world that could try

and keep us from knowing
the love of Christ in our lives is empty!
And it’s all because the tomb of Jesus is empty.
There is nothing that’s more valuable than
the emptiness of that place.

Mark Trammell