Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains”. John 9:41

Jesus said this to the Pharisees who were unable to see Him and accept His work due to their limited knowledge of the scripture. Scripture is a written law that should be implemented in our day to day life. This is being implemented by two sources, one is with human mind and discipline, the other with God’s mind and discipline. Human mind has laid down some punitive elements to implement the law but God implements His law through unconditional love. Human mind uses a law to accuse but God uses the same law to rescue.This can be clearly understood through the above Bible portion. As Jesus was looking at a man who sat beside the road taking alms, people started asking Jesus as to whose sin had led him to this plight. They knew the law and the wages of sin. But Jesus, who came to this earth to save the sinners, did not agree with them but said that it was to reveal the glory of God.

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10.

Here Jesus spoke about the end result.To derive the end result from us, God makes us humble so that we obey Him. Jesus did two things to the blind man. He applied mud on the blind man’s eyes. Jesus wants to remind us that we are mud.

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:3-6

Then He asked him to go to the pool of Siloam. Here we can understand the love and compassion of God towards mankind, His creation. He came down when we were unable to rise up to His level. God knew the weaknesses of humans. Man thinks that if he doesn’t take any remedial action on his own for his sins, he cannot be cleaned. This is the reason behind the origin and existence of many religions. Jesus came to this world in order to save the whole mankind from sin and its wage of eternal death. Understanding the concept of mankind, here Jesus gave the blind man a task to go to a place to get satisfied that he has adopted something to obtain purity. Pilgrimage survives even today but unless and until Jesus directs us to do so, the pilgrimage is in vain.

Jesus sent him to a pool named Siloam which means ‘sent’. The meaning of the name of the pool comes true – someone was sent. The significance is that Jesus was sent to this world that mankind may get cleaned by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. Here the blind man was asked to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. We are called to be washed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

The blind man was walking towards the pool with mud in his eyes, an act which could easily attract on goers to look at. God allows people to look at our helpless condition before He does a miracle in our life in order to show His work to all of them. The more they see us in trouble, even more they will see during His protection and blessing on us. The difference is this, in the former case they speak and in the latter they become speechless. Do not be troubled when your problem or disease increases all of a sudden, it is the time that everyone’s attention is attracted towards you. This is a good sign that God is working on your problem.

‘So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.’ 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

To receive any blessing, God expects obedience among His people. But disobedience will not only block His blessings but also bring curse and destruction for God will not twist or manipulate His law. Hence Jesus told the blind man to go and wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. When the blind man obeyed the word of Jesus Christ he got healed. Healing of mind, soul and body are associated with the obedience to the word of God.

‘And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.‘ 1 Samuel 15:22

Here the blind man obeyed without any hesitation. Remarkably he didn’t ask his healing nor came to Jesus, but Jesus decided to lift him up. He didn’t know who Jesus was but he obeyed. He went and washed in the pool of Siloam and got his sight. Jesus came to the earth to save the sinners. He took the guilt of mankind and shed His blood on the cross, died and was buried and rose on the third day. He is alive to save all mankind and not for any particular sect.

The blind man went and washed his eyes and came back with sight. II Corinthians 4:4 says the God of this age has blinded many eyes from seeing the light of this Gospel. This is the exact problem with Pharisees. When the Pharisees heard this, they were unable to understand God’s work. They are thorough with all the prophecies prophesied but were unable to understand its fulfillment. They were not ready to listen to the blind man who was just healed. For them, according to law, the blind man is a sinner. They were unable to understand that the grace of Jesus Christ saves every sinner. Their sight restricted them from seeing the insight. Our sight deters us from sensing the unseen plans of God. Here the unseen transformation took place in the heart of the man which was not seen by the Pharisees.

‘For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.’ 2 Corinthians 4:18