Purpose in Pain (The Miracle in the Mud)
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 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.”
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.
His parents had no modern technology to help them determine the nature of the problem. They only knew that their son did not learn to smile as early as other babies did. Furthermore, he did not seem to notice objects and movements about him and he was easily frightened by voices as well as by noises; he even jumped at a touch. Then came the day they realised that he had been born blind and that there was nothing they could do.
Months turned into years and their son learned to cope with his sightless world. His parents sought to ease the burden of their guilt … guilt which was continually exacerbated by thoughtless comments of those who knew their son. The accusation arose within their own hearts – what terrible sin could they possibly have committed to cause this precious child to be born without sight? If only they had … had what?
The question pressing endlessly on the heart of these sorrowing parents was always, “What will become of our son?” There were no schools for the blind, nor were there even opportunities for the handicapped to be employed or to care for themselves. Unless a blind person was born into a wealthy family that could provide care for him, his only option was to become a beggar – unwanted and helpless, surviving on the handouts of the more fortunate. What a life their son had to look forward to all the days of his life! He was aware at an early age that people regarded him with scorn, believing that he or his parents must be terrible sinners to have suffered this dreadful tragedy.
Then one ordinary day the extraordinary happened. As he sat begging in his usual spot near the Temple, just as he had always done, he again heard the inevitable question. Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? The blind man trembled as he heard these familiar words, but then he heard the man spit and stoop down to take the wet dirt into His hands. Involuntarily he squinted as he felt the cool, wet mud pressed against his sightless eyes. There it dried, forming a sort of dirty mask over his face. Then he heard a stranger’s quiet, gentle voice commanding, Go wash in the pool of Siloam.
The blind man hesitated. Was this some cruel joke being played out on his helpless condition? Something in the voice seemed to elicit hope in the sightless man. Perhaps it was the words which the stranger had spoken in response to the question. Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 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.
The Pool of Siloam was a long way for him to go. To reach the pool would mean negotiating the narrow, twisting streets of Jerusalem. Should he go, groping his way past the houses, climbing slowly, awkwardly down the steps in vain hope that this might somehow help? It was the Sabbath and therefore the crowds would not be there as on most other days. There would be some people about, however, and they would see him and wonder what he was doing. What if one of the Pharisees saw him or caught him at the water? It was against the Sabbath Law to draw water. Was it worth taking the risk just to obey the stranger’s command? He had heard the conversation without seeing the speakers. What was it that the stranger had said? He had heard Him say that he had been born blind so that the glory of God might be displayed … and not because of sin.
He would go! Slowly, ever so slowly, he made his way through the deserted streets toward the pool. Once he fell, cutting his knees on the rough stones. Whenever possible he clutched at the sides of houses or at courtyard walls. At last he came to the pool. Feeling carefully the stone side of the stairs he cautiously made his way down the steps. Carefully, cautiously, ever fearful that a wrong step would send him plunging into the water, he reached the edge of the pool.
Down on his belly at the mercy of anyone who might come upon him he put out his cupped hands and splashed water on his face. Again and again he took water from the pool until the dried, caked mud was moist and could be removed. As the muddy water streamed down his face, he gasped in amazement! He could see everything – pool, stone walls, blue sky! He could see!
As his astonishment turned to understanding the former beggar leaped to his feet and half-stumbling in eagerness hurried to the stairs. He raced through the streets, shouting for joy and in wonder at what had happened. He could see! He knew it was neither the mud nor the water, but it was the Man who caused this miracle.
Hearing his shouting people left their Sabbath duties to discover the source of the commotion. He ran on, heedless of their stares and questioning looks until he reached the spot where he had been begging only a short time before. He had to find that Man! But the stranger was gone, and the other beggars knew nothing of His whereabouts.
Unable to find the Man, he turned to care for another matter. Followed by those whom he had known as a blind beggar, he went to his family and friends, marvelling all the while at the sight of familiar streets and houses. Not even his family could believe the change. His neighbours, seeking an explanation brought him to the Pharisees, many of whom hated Jesus. But the Pharisees could not accept the fact that Jesus had performed a miracle … especially not on the Sabbath. These religious leaders were troubled and confused by the evidence before them.
Once consigned to being utterly disregarded, this man who was once blind demonstrated wit and intelligence by mocking these religious leaders for their unbelief. His simple statement was I don’t know who He is. All I know is that once I was blind, but now I see. Then he proceeded to give the religious leaders a lesson in elementary theology which demonstrated that they were blind because of their stubborn refusal to believe. Later, when this man did at last meet Jesus, he worshipped Him saying, Lord, I believe. In these words he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.
That is the story recorded in the ninth chapter of John’s Gospel. Though the story is ever so familiar, there is so very much within that account which should speak to us, instructing us and encouraging us in our own weaknesses and hurt.
Is there any purpose to my life? When I hurt, does my pain matter to God? When a Christian’s marriage dissolves, does God care? When the doctor says the diagnosis is inoperable cancer, does God care? When my joints throb, my head aches, and my eyes blur from pain, does God care? When I am laid off at work and I no longer have the resources to care for my family, does my situation matter to God? When the provisions I have made for the future are wiped out because of hasty decisions made in some distant capital, does it really make any difference to God? If there is no purpose in pain, I am a pawn whose very existence is at the mercy of capricious elements; God is then distant and unconcerned with my situation. If I am a Christian, however, I am compelled to conclude that there is purpose to my life … purpose even in the pain I experience.
Perhaps to discover this truth we could appeal to the words of Job, but there is in the New Testament this incident in which the Master rebuked His beloved disciples. A man had suffered greatly and throughout long years. When the disciples became aware of him they asked the almost inevitable question only to receive a lesson they could not have anticipated. That answer which Jesus gave serves to encourage us, however. That answer serves to ennoble our pain and to strengthen us in the midst of our grief. Let’s explore the account that together we may discover purpose in pain.
Handicaps – Their Varieties and Cause — When speaking of handicaps our thinking is usually restricted to mankind. In the racing world certain handicaps are offered. The concept in that case speaks of an artificial advantage introduced by and dependent upon the interest of man. The same could be said of any situation other than when applied directly to daily life. There, the concept of a handicap is much more intimate. A handicap affects an individual’s livelihood and ability to interact with others. In a world of relative health and wholeness, how can an individual live with his or her handicap?
Passing the blind man as he begged the disciples asked a question which revealed a common thought resident within our thinking even to this day. In the query recorded for our instruction is the implicitly personal question, Why should this man be born blind? The implications of their question are found within the thinking of believers to this day. They implied that there is a connection between sin and suffering. They indicated rather strongly that they were convinced that every affliction is proof of special sin. More particularly, they indicated that they believed that this sin was on the part of the parents. Later, it would be revealed that the Pharisees, the religious teachers of that day, thought that a child might sin before birth.
In truth, there is a connection between sin and suffering. However, the connection is not nearly so tight as some would like to make it. Ultimately, all suffering is the result of sin, for if our first parents had not sinned there would have been no fall. If there had been no fall, there would be no death, nor would there even be the precedence of death – which is suffering. This is the testimony of Paul to the Roman saints: sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned [Romans 5:12].
To derive the particular from the general is unwarranted in the instance of suffering and injury. Just because there is a general truth, it does not follow that every affliction is proof of special sin. While this sort of conclusion is usually associated with those of Pentecostal or Charismatic persuasion, such thinking is unfortunately reflected frequently throughout the whole of evangelicalism.
It was utterly unwarranted for the disciples to imagine that this particular affliction was the result of parental sin. If they were in error, how much greater was the error of the Pharisees! Our origins are in time, beginning with the fertilisation process. The error of the Pharisees in this instance was not unlike that of the Mormons who imagine a pre-terrestrial existence.
Ultimately, inequities are caused by sin, though that cannot be true immediately in every case. Personal injury may result from alcohol abuse; venereal disease may well be the result of immorality. Parental sin may cause foetal alcohol syndrome; or teratogenic changes in the unborn may result from parental drug abuse. These are true perils in which personal or parental sin may be the cause of suffering and inequities. However, not all physical injury, nor every emotional deficit, result from personal or parental sin.
Not all poverty is the result of laziness, as both the teachings of the Old Testament and of the New Testaments makes clear. Through Moses the Lord had taught Israel: There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land [Deuteronomy 15:11]. Jesus’ word on the issue of poverty was that you will always have the poor among you [John 12:8].
The single parent struggling to provide for her children even while attempting to be both father and mother may not have chosen to be single. Mental and emotional deficiencies may be due to conditions beyond the control of either those suffering immediately with such handicaps or of those who must suffer from watching those they love who are so afflicted. Down’s Syndrome infants and children suffering from lead- or mercury-contamination are not likely to suffer because of parental choice, and certainly no one would be so crass as to say that they chose to thus suffer.
The error of the disciples was that the blind man was reduced to an object. Though he might be the object of a theological discussion, in their estimate he was but an object nonetheless. His neighbours saw him as a beggar [verse eight], and the Pharisees saw him as a tool with which to assault this hated Jesus of Nazareth. For all the varied ways in which this one man might be viewed by others, it is the view of Jesus which commends itself to us as believers – for Jesus saw him as a man [verses one and three].
Handicaps – a Christian Response —Jesus’ answer to the Disciples’ thoughtless query leads to the observation that God is not ignorant of evident truths. Jesus does not deny that all suffering in some way arises ultimately as result of sin. Neither does the Master deny that the consequences for parental sin may fall on the children. Similarly, Jesus does not deny that children may inherit sinful tendencies. Jesus’ answer does not deny that children themselves have sinful natures. His answer does not deny that sickness may be the direct result of sin, and His answer does not deny that judgements may be swift and direct. All these points may be demonstrated to be factual in given circumstances.
All suffering finds its ultimate genesis in sin. However, not all suffering is due to the immediate consequence of sin. The consequences of parental sin may fall on children, as in the instance represented by foetal alcohol syndrome. Children do inherit sinful tendencies. Children do have sinful natures; and their lives may be influenced in a negative sense toward evil. Sickness may indeed by the direct result of sin and judgements may be direct [Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:22; 1 Corinthians 11:30]. None of these issues are demonstrated from Jesus’ answer to the insensitive query of the Disciples, however.
Though Jesus’ answer denies none of these self-evident truths, by that same answer He does acknowledge that the problems surrounding the fact of suffering are both great and varied. By His answer Jesus does indicate that God may permit inequities for purposes not immediately apparent to the casual observer. In this we have hope that we do not need an answer so much as we need faith when we struggle against our own situations. We find this truth evidenced throughout the Word of God.
Job suffered greatly and we never do discover the reason behind God’s permission for his suffering other than demonstrating the quality of the poor man’s faith. Lazarus died and though our Lord declared that his death was for God’s glory [John 11:4], His words did not mitigate the tears of Mary and Martha as they grieved over his death. The Jews fell from their favoured position with God. This tragedy, though it was divine judgement, is said to ensure that salvation [might] come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious [Romans 11:11]. The tower of Siloam fell, killing eighteen innocent individuals, and no reason for the collapse is ever given [Luke 13:4].
Not even divine discipline necessarily makes sense to us, but the pain eventuates in good and even in comfort for the one disciplined. Listen to this summary. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons… No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it [Hebrews 12:7,8,11].
Here is a summary of Christian suffering which points to a yet undefined goal. What more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect [Hebrews 11:32-40].
Two small words prefacing Jesus’ answer to the disciples become exceptionally important to our understanding. But this speaks of an opportunity instead of a destiny. The man’s blindness presented our Lord an opportunity to glorify God. But this refers to result instead of purpose. Jesus answered the Disciples’ question with a view to changing, rather than explaining, the man’s condition. There is a message for us as Christians in His answer. We invest considerable energies in seeking to determine the source of our injury. Even though we may never openly voice our suspicions concerning sorrow visited on others, the thought somehow remains that each is the agent of his own grief. Thus we imagine that we have conclusive answers. How much better would our response be, glorifying God and honouring our confession, were we to respond by changing instead of thinking that we are required to explain each situation we confront.
The Witness of the Weak — We don’t usually give such matters much consideration, but even casual reflection shows that the world about us is designed to meet the needs of the majority. Creation itself favours the strong and the able and it is certain that the daily organisation of our world favours the strong and that which is called the normal.
In nature, the weak do not survive. The lame rabbit is killed and eaten by the fox. The goose with the broken wing is killed and eaten by the racoon. The moose blinded in one eye is game for the wolf. The weak are prey for the strong. It is only in the realm of mankind that the qualities of mercy and compassion may possibly be brought to bear against the whole of nature. We who know the Living God, Creator of heaven and earth, are taught to value the witness of the weak. Of all people, we who are called by the Name of the Son of God are responsible to value and to protect the witness of the weak.
The cure for this man’s blindness was exceptional, even among the accounts of Jesus’ healing ministries. That there had been a miracle performed could not be denied, but the means was unusual. In no other instance did Jesus employ any means other than a touch or a word to heal. We cannot know precisely the reasons behind these strange instructions which Jesus issued to effect the healing of this man. Two thoughts concerning this healing are perhaps important for our understanding, though even then we cannot speak with authority of the reason Jesus chose to heal in this manner.
This is the only instance recorded of a congenital physical ailment being healed by our Lord. That fact may have influenced His choice of means. Such a postulate can only be speculative, however, for it still would fail to explain why He employed the mud made with spittle. As we consider the healing, however, we can imagine that the clay drying on the man’s face would serve to convey Jesus’ intent. The mud would lend meaning to the command to go to the Pool of Siloam. That slowly tightening mask of dirt would serve to impel the man to continue despite reservations he might harbour. Perhaps the means emphasised the importance of acting so as to be openly seen.
Whatever the reason for the means employed, we are remiss if we fail to see the confession the man gave. We witness a remarkable and progressive growth in understanding, and hence, faith, as the incident is explored. In verse eleven he speaks of the man they call Jesus. At first he only knows that the One who healed him was a man. Though he knows the name of that Man, He is yet a man. Pressed to speak against the Man who had performed such a marvellous deed in this beggar's life, he confesses that the Man who healed him must assuredly be a prophet [verse seventeen]. Further pressure to speak against this Jesus only drives the healed man to speculate that Jesus could not be a sinner [verse twenty-five] and that He must certainly be from God [verse thirty-three]. That is an incredible and rapid progression of faith. Finally, when he meets Jesus and it is revealed to him that this Jesus is in fact the Messiah (for that is what would be understood from the use of the term the Son of Man in verse thirty-five), the man responds with open confession of his faith. Lord, I believe, and with that the text informs us that he worshipped Jesus [verse thirty-eight].
The consequences arising from the healing are likewise noted in the text. In this distant day, far removed from the days of His flesh, we too often forget that Jesus came into the world for judgement [verse thirty-nine]. Do you remember that awesome statement, too easily ignored, in which Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth is provided us? The text is Matthew 10:34. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. That is a stunning statement!
To those refusing Him as very God in human flesh Jesus’ work becomes juridical. To those accepting Him as the Lord of Glory Jesus’ work becomes liberating. It is the witness of the weak which is often used to turn us who think ourselves strong to consider Christ as Lord. Is fate the master of man? Is there no rational accounting for circumstances? Is man the victim of chance? The sign Jesus provided showed Him to be Master over fate. Irrespective of the cause for the man’s blindness, Jesus met the challenge, dealt with it and overcame it. Therefore, even my spiritual blindness may be healed, if I am but willing to seek Him who gives sight to the blind. Amen.