Healing on the Sabbath

Good morning, All,

 

This is a continuation of the previous chapter.   The last verse in chapter 8 says, Then they took up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:59.  So after the confrontation in the Temple when Jesus stated he was the light of the world, and after he told the Pharisees that they were of their father, the devil, Jesus is leaving the Temple and he comes across a blind person.

 

The lesson here is one of great importance.  One of the signs of the coming of the Messiah was that he would open the eyes of the blind.  This is the second miracle that Jesus performed on the Sabbath, the first one being the healing of the lame man whom Jesus told, "take up thy bed and walk."  The Pharisees were already out to kill him.  He had violated their deepest most religiously held precept, works on the Sabbath, and here Jesus did it again!  They were the ones that were truly blind.

 

Might I interject here.  The Pharisees had their pet doctrines that they did to show the world their righteousness.  They didn't work on the Sabbath, big deal.  That was no great work involved here.  Israel had been doing that since Sinai.  The Pharisees just took it to an extreme.  It was easy to take their pet doctrine to the extreme then use that as an excuse to judge the righteousness of others.  I see the same thing today with groups that emphasize a particular millennium, a particular second coming, a particular day of worship, a particular atonement, as if those were the litmus test of whether or not a person is a Christian.  We need to be mindful of that trap, lest we be blinded ourselves.

 

Just one more observation.  There was a religious group of employees at my ambulance workplace that went to great pains to have Sundays off so that they could worship together.  While that is somewhat commendable, they had a subtle habit of implying to other Christians at my workplace that this made them somewhat more special as a group.  One of them tried to pull that on me and I told him that if he could guarantee that no one would get sick on Sunday, I would gladly take the day off and worship.  That kind of shut down that line of conversation.

 

~Al

 

When he had thus spoken, he spit on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, Joh 9:6 

 

And it was the sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Joh 9:14 

 

Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. Joh 9:16 

 

And made clay ... - Two reasons may be assigned for making this clay, and anointing the eyes with it. One is, that the Jews regarded spittle as medicinal to the eyes when diseased, and that they forbade the use of medicines on the Sabbath. They regarded the Sabbath so strictly that they considered the preparation and use of medicines as contrary to the law. Especially it was particularly forbidden among them to use spittle on that day to heal diseased eyes. Jesus, therefore, by making this spittle, showed them that their manner of keeping the day was superstitious, and that he dared to do a thing which they esteemed unlawful. He showed that their interpretation of the law of the Sabbath was contrary to the intention of God, and that his disciples were not bound by their notions of the sacredness of that day. Another reason may have been that it was common for prophets to use some symbolical or expressive action in working miracles. Thus, Elisha commanded his staff to be laid on the face of the child that he was about to restore to life, 2Ki 4:29. In such instances the prophet showed that the miracle was performed by power communicated through him; so, in this case, Jesus by this act showed to the blind man that the power of healing came from him who anointed his eyes. He could not see him, and the act of anointing convinced him of what might have been known without such an act, could he have seen him that Jesus had power to give sight to the blind. (Barnes)

 

This man is not of God - Is not sent by God, or cannot be a friend of God.

Because he keepeth not the sabbath-day - They assumed that their views of the Sabbath were correct, and by those views they judged others. It did not occur to them to inquire whether the interpretation which they put on the law might not be erroneous. Men often assume their own interpretations of the Scriptures to be infallible, and then judge and condemn all others by those interpretations.

A sinner - A deceiver; an impostor. They reasoned conclusively that God would not give the power of working such miracles to an impostor. The miracles were such as could not be denied, nor did even the enemies of Jesus attempt to deny them or to explain them away. They were open, public, frequent. And this shows that they could not deny their reality. Had it been possible, they would have done it; but the reality and power of those miracles had already made a party in favor of Jesus, even in the Sanhedrin Joh 7:50; Joh 12:42, and those opposed to them could not deny their reality. It may be added that the early opponents of Christianity never denied the reality of the miracles performed by the Savior and his apostles. Celsus, Porphyry, and Julian - as acute foes of the gospel as perhaps have ever lived - never call this in question. They attempted to show that it was by some evil influence, or to account for the miracles in some other way than by admitting the divine origin of the Christian religion, but about the facts they had no question. Were they not as well qualified to judge about those facts as men are now? They lived near the time; had every opportunity to examine the evidence; were skillful and talented disputants; and if they could have denied the reality of the miracles they would have done it. It is scarcely possible to conceive of more conclusive proof that those miracles were really performed, and, if so, then the Lord Jesus was sent by God.

A division - Greek, "A schism." A separation into two parties.

(Barnes)

 

Christ's sight of sinners

This man could not see Jesus, but, what was better, Jesus could see him; and we read, "As Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth." Many other blind men there were in Israel, but Jesus saw this man with a special eye. I think I see the Savior standing still, and looking at him, taking stock of him, listening to his quaint speeches, noting what kind of man he is, and exhibiting special interest in him. This morning there is one in the Tabernacle who cannot see Jesus, for he has no spiritual eyes; but I am convinced that my Master is now looking at him, searching him from head to foot, and reading him with discerning eye. He is considering what he will make of him by-and-by, for he has the great and gracious intent that He will take this sinner, who is spiritually like the blind beggar, and enlighten him, and give him to behold His glory. (C. H. Spurgeon.)