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?” (John 9:1-2)
Few stories in the Bible show the supernatural progression of saving faith better than the story of the man born blind in John 9.
The story begins with a presumption that is common even today. That is, God uses sickness as a punishment for sin. The man who was born blind is believed to have been afflicted by God because of the sins of one or both of his parents. But which one, asks Jesus’ disciples?
But Jesus tells his disciples that what has happened to the blind man is not punishment from God, but the means by which the Creator of Heaven and Earth will bring glory to Himself.
Having removed a false presumption about God, faith begins its journey.
First, a seed of faith is planted in the blind man as Jesus demonstrates his power to heal and gives him sight. But when asked how he received his sight, the man who was blind, even with restored vision, only recognizes Jesus as another man.
Second, when the religious leaders hear about the man’s healing, which took place on the Sabbath (a day when no work should be done), the seed of faith grows, and begins to take root. Now, being questioned by religious types, the man’s faith allows him to recognize Jesus as a prophet. But his zeal only leads to trouble he is kicked out of the temple.
Third and last, separated from his tradition, the man is alone with only his faith. Something about the person who healed him is connected to God, but exactly what remains unclear.
Then Jesus finds the man, who now seeing with his physical eyes, is beginning to see with his spiritual eyes. Jesus asks him if he knows the Son of Man, the Messiah, the one sent by God to heal the lame, and give sight to the blind. “No,” replies the man. “Who is he?”
“I am He,” said Jesus.
Immediately the man bows down and worships Jesus. Once thought to be just a man, then considered perhaps to be a prophet, Jesus is now affirmed as Lord. Faith, having taken its first steps toward righteousness, now rests fully in the heart of the man born blind, who now sees Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16)
