(Adobe Stock Photo)
By Christopher Akpan
I find John 9 to be a fantastic story! Jesus chose to heal somebody who, at that point, didn’t believe in him. This is the beauty of God, who heals for his glory, not as a result of our own works. The blind man just showed up, did what he was told, but really didn’t have a full understanding of who Christ was until after the miracle was performed.
My son, who was in a wheelchair for over 2 years, was healed suddenly and unexpectedly after all the effort we took to get him healed. Countless medical appointments; medical tests; daily massaging; physiotherapy, prayers; trips to Saskatoon, Calgary and even Mexico. We tried everything we could humanly muster, but God provided the healing we longed for. He did it in his own time, which was perfect considering it happened a month after my wife passed away.
God did it in His own time, and it was perfect. It was for His goodness and His glory. And, like the man born blind, I am sharing my own experience so that everyone who hears this story has a chance to participate in and experience his glory. The healing of my son happened in the midst of darkness. It happened at a time when it was absolutely needed.
Sometimes, as believers, when we think about our circumstances, we want to pray the perfect prayer, think we have to have the right people praying for us, or believe we have to have all the right things in order for God to answer our prayer. Then God reminds us, it is all grace!
In this passage, Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with his spit, and anointed the blind man’s eyes. At times, we feel like our faith has to be perfect and that we must have no sin in our lives to enjoy miracles. We may feel like our faith has to be perfect for God to heal us. The blind man didn’t know Jesus. He wasn’t a disciple. He wasn’t a follower. He was just sitting, blind and begging. There was nothing perfect about it except the blind man’s willingness to be healed.
The beauty of the story also shows God’s timing and that God’s reach is not hindered in the ways we might think. The healing happened on the Sabbath, the day Jews were supposed to rest and not work. There are other accounts in which Jesus gets in trouble for healing people on the Sabbath. This gospel reminds us of who Jesus is and how He works. He does it for His glory, and He does it for the love of people. He heals so that many will be drawn to Him.
The disciples asked whose sin caused the affliction. Jesus replied that neither the sin of the blind man nor that of his parents was the cause of the affliction. The affliction was so that God’s grace and love might be revealed. Receiving these gifts are not passive. When we pray for ourselves or someone to receive healing, there’s an active part for us, similar to how Jesus spat on the ground to make mud; there was an action to it. We don’t have to spit on the ground and make mud, but there’s an action when we pray for healing. We’re acting in faith, but there’s also an action on the part of the receiver when we ask to be healed. We may be required to take action in the same way that the blind man was given instructions. Jesus smeared mud on the blind man’s face, and He was told to wash it off. God’s healing calls for a response.
The Pharisees were trying to question the truth or validity of the healing by spreading doubt to validate their feelings in a quest for the truth. The religious leaders and all the people were trying to validate their suspicions and their questions about who was healing him, rather than just accepting the glory of God. We should not allow doubt or fear to creep in. In the face of God’s glory, at the time of the healing, the blind man did not even know Jesus as the Son of man, but he did recognize his authority as a teacher. The man quickly accepted the opportunity to receive his miracle and shared his testimony. Miracles are not just for us as believers; they are to show God’s glory even to those outside of our beliefs. When we pray for healing, it is not because we are worthy of it or for our own edification. It is for God’s glory, and it points more people towards him. Inside and outside of the faith. As we approach Easter, we should open our eyes to see that what Jesus did in his public ministry was to reveal the path to faith, that we might receive his grace and believe in his resurrection.
This year’s Renew Lent reflections are offered by participants in the Archdiocese of Regina’s Lay Formation Program, a journey of faith, prayer, and leadership development for parish ministry. Our next intake begins in Fall 2027. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact Deacon Eric Gurash at [email protected] or 306-721-6724.
