He Will Come!

In the book of John we are told that one day while walking through the streets of Jerusalem the apostles encountered a man that was born blind. While passing him the disciples asked Jesus what caused the blindness the man's or his parent's sins. Jesus explained that sin wasn't the cause. The reason the man was born blind was so that "the works of God should be made manifest in him" (John 9:4). Jesus then stopped, spit on the ground, made clay, anointed the eyes of the man with the clay and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The man does as he is instructed and is able to see. It is an amazing story that has so many lessons in it that this is usually all the story that gets discussed. But there is more.


When the Pharisees find out that this blind man can see, they are angry and they cast him out or, in other words, they excommunicate him. His joy at being able to see is now doused by the anger directed at him and the fact that he will no longer be part of the congregation and society that has been his entire life. You can imagine his feelings. Perhaps he even wished he were blind again!


But what happens next is for me as important as the fact that he was healed. Hearing that the man has been cast out, Jesus searched for and found the man and introduced Himself to the man as the Son of God. In this way he assured and encouraged the man to endure the persecution and adversity of being shunned by his own people.


Likewise, Jesus will find us in our darkest moments. He will come to us and He will encourage and assure us. Rather than wallow in self-pity or other negative emotions, we can expect His arrival with its sweet assurance and love.