THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Thursday, June IS- John 9 : 13 - 17 -.
Herbert Spencers can reason out promis-' ing" sociological schemes, but the Duffs, and the Judsons, and the Patons are the ones who really accomplish something that counts. Verse S tells us that the world’s night is when Jesus has gone, and the dark est night to the individual soul is when Jesus leaves it. Jesus helped the man before the man asked Him to do so. His need was a prayer. I f we are to follow in the footsteps o f our Lord we ought not to wait until misery comes to us. we should go to it. The command “ Go wash,” etc., was a test o f faith , (cf. 2 Kings 5:10-14; Mark 3 :5 ; Luke 17:14)._ “ Siloam,” means “ sent,” and was a type o f Jesus Himself, because IJe was the one whom God had “ sent” (v. 4; John 10:36; Rom. 8 :3 ; Gal. 4 :4 ). If we wish sight for our blind eyes, we should go to Him and bathe (John 8:12). This man gave the best evidence in the world of faith—prompt obedience. The result was that “ he came seeing.” If we wish sight, salvation, or any other bless- ‘Ing from Jesus, the thing to do is just the The blind man’s cure occasioned a divis ion. Christ’ s work always arouses discus sion and causes division. The discussion gave an opportunity for testimony. The man showed his manliness by saying, “ I am he,” i. e., the one who had just been described as “he that sat and begged.” His frank testimony for Jesus as to what he had been and as to what Jesus had done for him cost him excommunication (v. 34), but it brought him a deeper, fuller knowl edge o f the Lord (vs. 35-38). When he was asked how his- eyes were opened he gave a model description o f the case, short, right to the point, and giving the exact facts. He spoke o f his deliverer as “the man called Jesus.” Later in the day he said “ He is a prophet” (v. 17). Later still he recognized Him as “ The Son o f God” (vs. 35-38). Those who heard wanted to see Jesus. Here we see the power o f testi mony. thing we are told. Wednesday, June 14 . John 9 : 8 - 12 .
The' man who had his eyes opened w as' now brought to the Pharisees, the recog nized enemies o f Jesus (cf. v. 22; ch. 11:46, 47, 25; 12:42). But even then the man did not dodge the issue. His testimony created a division even among the Pharisees, some decided that He could not be from God because He kept not the Sabbath according to their notions. But others said, “ How can a man that is a sinner do such signs?” That is an unanswerable question and a question that demands an answer from all the deniers o f the deity o f Christ. If He is not divine He is the chief o f blasphemers. The man was not at all daunted by the opposition his testimony had aroused and boldly proclaimed o f Jesus, “He is a prophet.” Friday, June 16 . John 9 : 18 - 23 . The Jews were determined not to be .convinced. Though it was well known by every one that this was the man who had been blind, they were sure there must be some mistake. But the stubborn unbelief o f the Jews only led to even clearer testi mony as to the man’s former condition, and so brought new proof o f the reality o f the cure and the power and Messiahship o f our Lord. When the parehts came the Jews were not willing to admit that he had really been blind, but only that they had said he was born blind (v. 10). Certainly the parents ought to know and' did know, and theytestified to the fact that it was beyond a question their son, and also to the fact that beyond a question “he was born blind.” And then even the parents showed their . ingratitude and their cowardice, they had not the courage to come right out and assert that Jesus had opened his eyes, they shirked the issue and put the responsibility over on fto their son lest they have to pay the price o f an honest confession. Oh, to what ingratitude and contemptible action the fear o f man leads many today in the denial o f the Lord, who not only healed them but died for them on the cross.
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