Wednesday December 23, 2020

Today’s Reading: John 9:1-11

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “[This came about] so that God’s works might be displayed in him.

John 9:3

Reflection: Jesus does work that causes us to see Him clearly. He reveals Himself as the Light of the world, the Source by which all can truly see. Therefore, His works throughout His earthly ministry not only heal, strengthen and comfort, but they illumine people’s understanding of Him, helping them to see Him in Light of His Divine identity as God.

His healing of the man born blind does just this. Although He could heal by the utterance of a word, here Jesus fashions clay out of His own spit, anoints the blind man, and then sends him to go on a journey in faith to be cleansed without even telling the man what He will do for him. Because the man follows Jesus blindly (both in the literal and figurative sense), he is given sight that he has never known before. This miraculous account demonstrates how the Lord draws near to us in our blindness and weakness, heals us, and then bids us to go in faith like that of the blind man. After being restored by His Power, we are equipped by Jesus to testify of His Glory, to help others see Him for Who He truly is: The Light of the World.

The Light of the World gives us true perspective. It is by first seeing Jesus clearly that we are then able to see everything and everyone around us for what and who they truly are. And it is by first going by His guidance that we are given a testimony to tells others. Our story as redeemed people is like that of the man born blind. For before the Savior came to each of us with compassion and mercy, we were wandering lost in the darkness without His Light to guide us. We could not live fully, we could not function properly. We were hindered by the sufferings of this world. But praise be to God that, as in the case of the man born blind, Jesus came and approached us before we could even see Him. He gave us clear vision and restoration by His Power and now equips use with a testimony about how we’ve come to see Him for Who He truly is. What joy it is to now walk by the guiding Light of World!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You are indeed the Light of the World. You shine in beautiful splendor, in brilliant Glory to which nothing and no one else can compare. I lift Your Name up above all names. I worship You, O King of kings. Thank You for Your undeserved Salvation upon me. Thank You for Your Grace. Help me to use the testimony You’ve given to reveal more to others about Who You are, that they too might be transformed the the Light of Your Truth. I pray these things in Your Holy Name, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com): John 9:1-23; 2 Chronicles 6; Malachi 2:17-3:18