Mud in the Eyes Part I The Things God Uses

I read about Jesus’ miracle healing of a man born blind in a whole new light recently.

John 9

As he went along, he (Jesus) saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The disciples saw a curse, a history of sin, and just wanted to know who to blame!  But Jesus saw a blind man, an opportunity to give God glory, and just wanted to get to work!  

The same is true of you and me. God sees you! As Hagar the runaway slave girl discovered on the side of a lonely desert road, El Roi is the God who sees me! (Gen.16:13) 

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 

Really God? THIS is how you’re going to help a man see? By picking up the dirtiest mud on the ground and mixing it with spit, then putting it in his eyes? Sure doesn’t seem like a good recipe for giving anyone better sight, does it? 

It’s these, the most unlikely, uncomfortable, and unexpected things God uses to accomplish his purposes that blow my mind! 

God works in such mysterious ways! One would think that to help a man gain vision you should clean the eyes, not fill them with dirt!  We should never allow ourselves to think that He isn’t working for our good, even when we don’t see what He’s doing or understand his methods. 

Sometimes life has to get messier before it can be improved. That’s when we’re tempted to think God isn’t doing anything, but be patient. He knows what He’s doing!

⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

This afternoon I watched video clips of several people who had been born color-blind as they were given a pair of new glasses that allowed them to see the full spectrum of colors for the first time. Their reactions brought tears to my eyes. 

There were children, young women and elderly men. All had the most spectacular experience of seeing color when they put these magical glasses on. They gasped, they shrieked, they took the glasses on and off in amazement, and then they wept with joy. 

These people could see before, but they never saw the colors. Imagine how much more it would shock and move you if you had been fully blind from birth and then suddenly you could see everything! This man must have been dancing down the street, leaping for joy at the sight of the sky, the sun and clouds, the birds, the green grass and flowers! 

Naturally, everyone noticed what happened and the man had an immediate platform to testify to God’s power in his life. 

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

He speaks up, courageously identifies himself, and then, like a child, he simply tells what he understands. It isn’t complicated. Jesus showed up and did the impossible. 

Pause a moment to think about your own testimony. How did God show up in your life and how did He make a difference? Don’t be afraid to share this. The world is starving for the proof that God hears our prayers and loves us so personally!

So hearing this testimony, his neighbors now wanted to learn more about Jesus!

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Naturally, this blind man never saw Jesus. He had only heard his voice and obeyed his words. Similarly, I’ve never seen Jesus. I’ve only heard his voice and followed his words at this point. But I can tell you, He’s done miracles in me! 

What about you? Has God brought some ugly or unwanted circumstances  into your life? Does it seem that things have gotten messier?  Be on the lookout for His directions. Pray and read the Word and search for what He might be saying to you now. 

Perhaps, like with this man born blind, GOD is preparing to give you a whole new way of seeing as you take those baby steps toward obeying Him.