Bible Study Leftover
During discussion within our Small Faith Sharing Group today we were addressing the Gospel about Jesus curing the blind man by the Pool of Siloam. We delved, to some extent, into the account of the confrontation between the Pharisees and the parents of the blind man, who had to attest that the man who was cured was indeed their son and had indeed been born blind.
I speculated that the blind man, while initially pleased that he had been cured, was so browbeaten and harassed by the Pharisees intent on discrediting Jesus that he became more and more anxious to defend Jesus, the wonderful person who had given him his sight, against these mean, peculiar, and overbearing “leaders” of his people.
Likewise, his parents were probably cowed and uncomfortable with their own confrontation with the Pharisees. It seemed they were rather cold and indifferent with regard to their son. Perhaps they had long before written him off as true member of the family, feeling that he had brought them too much grief in light of the common belief that someone like him, born blind or otherwise disfigured, was a sign that the parents had sinned.
Group member Chuck called attention to the unstated moral that, like Jesus, we should always be ready to do something to help any deprived or miserable person we encounter or know about.
Somewhat related, I wanted to but didn’t get to mention that I had heard a radio report of how archeologistshave now located the actual Pool of Siloam. The report said that the pool was uniquely constructed with gently sloping steps down leading into the water, so that it would be understandable that a blind man sitting nearby would be able to find his way to it, recognise it, and proceed down into the waters.
If we’re willing to sacrifice, GOD can put us through experiences that’ll teach us anything HE wants us to know. GOD found a way to make me POOR ENOUGH to be a follower of Christ. So I got to spend over 6 months living on the streets in Australia. That experience taught me how the OUTCASTS (like the BLIND MAN) are treated by society in our world today.
There is NO DOUBT in my mind that the blind man was use to people spitting on him and doing evil things to him. I know a man that was sleeping on the streets and got water sprayed all over him from another man’s mounth via a near by water fountain. I also heard about a homeless man that have been killed by kids with baseball bats while he tried to sleep.
The point is Christ picked the blind man because he was a good man. The blind man had NO IDEA what was going on. He’s there trying to get some money to eat and live on. I’m sure he didn’t want mud on his face from a man’s spit. I bet a lot of people were laughing and enjoying the action. But the BLIND MAN didn’t complain or start a fight. He was USE TO BEING PICKED ON.
Christ picked the BLIND MAN because GOD wants us to be like that BLIND MAN. The BLIND MAN turned the other cheek. Kind of reminds me of Christ on Good Friday. Like Bill said, Christ is SHOWING US how we are suppose to treat the WORLD’S OUTCASTS. Christ is LEADING BY EXAMPLE. He doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk.
That BLIND MAN is a saint and he’s in heaven today. If there was ever a HUMBLE PERSON, he’s got to be one. You got to wonder when the church will give him the credit he deserves.