Devotion: Awe-Full Things
Awe-Full Things
Please take a moment and read the scripture from this weekend: John 9:1-7 & 35-38
‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.
John 9:5-7
If you have not read the whole Bible story from John chapter 9, I would encourage you to read it. It’s the story about Jesus healing the blind man by putting mud on his eyes. I assumed I knew that story. There was a blind man. Jesus made some mud and put it on the man’s eyes. Now the man can see. Jesus heals, end of story. It turns out, I didn’t understand the story.
In John 9 we see a miracle of restoring sight to a blind man performed by Jesus, but there is so much more to it than that. What I missed was the fact that no one could believe it. Here is a man, who everyone knows can’t see, and then one day, he can see! Yet no one believes that Jesus could have healed him. Not his neighbors, who saw this man daily and knew he was blind. Not the leaders of the town. Even his parents refused to admit that Jesus had healed him. The people of the city refused to believe that the story could be true. They got so upset about it that they kicked the man out and made him leave. This poor man had been blind from birth, miraculously healed, and now has to leave his home! He may have wished he was still blind rather than that.
But then, another miracle happens. Jesus goes to find the man. And apparently, the leaders were following him because they ended up in this part of the story too. Jesus finds him, asks if he believes in the Son of Man, and tells him all will be well because he believed. Jesus then turns to the leaders and says, “‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see’, your sin remains.” I’m telling you, you have to go read this story!
This story reminds me of the theme for our children’s Faith Formation for this coming year, “God loves you no matter what.” Bad things will happen to you. People may turn their back on you, shut you out or hurt you. But God will not leave you. He is still there, working out your story, healing your hurts, fighting for you. Always remember that God loves you so much!
Gracious Father,
Help me to see that all parts of your story are working towards good. Remind me when things are hard that you will not let go of me. You are still there, teaching, forming and shaping me and those who are watching, into who you created us to be. Guard our hearts, protect our spirits so when fear or doubt arise, we can dismiss it quickly. Empower us to believe and proclaim that miracles happen and that you love us no matter what.
In the mighty, precious and saving name of Jesus,
Amen.
Julie Anderson is a member of Sheridan’s Devotion Writing Team. She works as Sheridan’s Children’s Music Coordinator where she is passionate about teaching children to use their musical gifts to praise God.
Julie is married to Scott and counts her greatest honor as being mom to Adrienne, Eliot and Elise.