Spring is on its way; now those are words I like to hear! Winter can be a tough time in the Northeast and spring means relief. Relief from bone chilling cold, from ice, dreary days and cabin fever! I wonder, what makes is so wonderful? Even spring can have its rainy days, windy storms and flooding. More than the mere relief from winter, spring means LIFE! It is a celebration of beginnings, new flowers, crops and of course it is a time for births! If you ask most parents to be whether they want a boy or a girl they will often answer: "I don't care what it is as long as it is healthy". But what if they have a child that is NOT HEALTHY, WHAT THEN? What good can come of bringing a child with a "problem" into this world? Read this passage from the book of John and find out.Joh 9:1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Joh 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Joh 9:6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud
Joh 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Joh 9:8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"
Joh 9:9 Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the man."
Joh 9:10 So they said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"
Joh 9:11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight."
Joh 9:12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."
Joh 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
Joh 9:14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
Joh 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.
Joh 9:17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
Joh 9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight
Joh 9:19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"
Joh 9:20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
Joh 9:21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself."
Joh 9:22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)
Joh 9:23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
Joh 9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
Joh 9:25 He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."
Joh 9:26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
Joh 9:27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Joh 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Joh 9:6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud
Joh 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Joh 9:8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"
Joh 9:9 Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the man."
Joh 9:10 So they said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"
Joh 9:11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight."
Joh 9:12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."
Joh 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
Joh 9:14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
Joh 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.
Joh 9:17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
Joh 9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight
Joh 9:19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"
Joh 9:20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
Joh 9:21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself."
Joh 9:22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)
Joh 9:23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
Joh 9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
Joh 9:25 He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."
Joh 9:26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
Joh 9:27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"
ESV
There you have it; even a child with "problems" can be valuable, in fact he was invaluable. His condition could not be explained away; his unique testimony showed the power of God, which is why he was born with his "problem". Each and every one of us has a problem, whether we like to think about it or not: sin. Only Jesus is the answer and he is THE ONLY WAY to life the way was meant to be. With him we have life, without him we have something less. So, in this season of beginnings, let us take some time to reflect on the beautiful emerging spring around us and spring into action for the God who brings both life and light to our hearts.