John 9:4-5 “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

Jesus wanted his disciples to see the blessed opportunity in a poor man’s blindness. He links the man’s blindness to the truth that Jesus is the light of the world. Like light in a dark place, Jesus is the one who makes it possible for us to see the truth. And the truth is that God doesn’t expect us to grope our own way through the darkness of sin until we die in it. When the light goes on, the darkness disappears. When grace and forgiveness in Jesus goes on, sin and death disappear. They evaporate like the darkness. Life, and love, and heaven become visible. God’s work is to turn that light on in as many hearts as possible before it’s too late.

That light of grace and truth were connected with another work of God, the work of love. “Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

Jesus’ method may seem strange to us, but you can’t argue with the results. His procedure works similar to a sacrament. Is washing off mud the cure for blindness? Not under ordinary circumstances. But when washing it off is connected to Jesus’ command and promise, then yes, it cures blindness. Can plain water wash away sins? Not under ordinary circumstances. But when it is accompanied by commands and promises like “Be baptized and wash your sins away” (Acts 22:16), then yes, there is forgiveness in the water, as strange as the method may seem.

You and I don’t have healing powers like Jesus had. But we can imitate his love for people who suffer. That may be just God’s purpose in allowing their pain or discomfort. He wanted to bring us together. He wanted us to show our love. He wanted us to share our Savior. 

Sometimes, the shoe is on the other foot. We are the ones struggling. We may not be eager to pray, “Lord, make me the person who suffers. Make me the person who needs help.” We don’t need to seek more problems in our lives than we already have. We can trust God to dole them out as he knows is best. When they come, Jesus assures us they have a spiritual purpose. Trust God to do his work, to turn on lights, to build faith in you or the people whose love and help bring you together.

“Lord Jesus, when I don’t see the value in life’s hardships, wash the mud out of my eyes, and let me see. Amen.”