Water Of The Word 081 Newsletter

by Samuel Balla Bateno
(Ethiopia)

13/11/08
This is Samuel Balla from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (East Africa). Since I have no internet access, my wife, one of your news letter reading members used to bring your print outs and I am reading and sharing to others based on it.

Thank you for your invitation of suggestion. I am being as fellow worker with you in His kingdom, my comment or general view on Jn.9 is as follows:- (in my broken English). This is my 1st part because of character limitation of your comment box and I will send the 2nd and main part if you think worthy. I am also new to making comments and wish your mercy for every shortcoming I made.

We can see about this man in many angles too.
First let us see (vv10-12.) Here, on the first question offered to him about his salvation, how his eyes were opened and who opened; the man answered correctly; but for the second question “where Jesus was” he replied ‘’I don’t know ’’

Let us see the idea ‘’I don’t know’’; the man though he didn’t see Jesus out of himself, (physically) at that moment, he knew the name ‘’Jesus’’ by hearing, the name that healed him, heard His word and knew His work, how Jesus made mud with His saliva, put on his eyes and told him to go to the Pool and wash in. Wash, means baptism; (Act22:16). He stated almost all about Jesus; proclaimed the name, by what name was his life changed, the name which heals and makes strong (Act4:16.) So he should not answer like that (‘’I don’t know’’); because his new life which was displayed upon him was not his own, but it is Jesus’ which graciously provided: he would have answered ‘’this is Jesus as you see in & on my life.’’

How do we see this that the man didn’t realize as Jesus was with him, in him, being radiant twinkling, shining, and glowing to the world through him starting from the man himself to the family, to the neighboring, to the authority all around through generations (even) up to us?

This is the same as:-
• Moses didn’t realize that his face was radiant when he came down from the Mountain with the tablets in his hands; (Ex34:29)
• How the world didn’t recognize though Jesus, The Word was in the world, the world was made through Him; ((Jh1:10b,)
• John the Baptist did not know though he himself baptized Jesus; (Jn1:29_33)
• Mary Magdalene didn’t realized Jesus while He was with her & talking to her; (Jn20:14_16)
• The two men walking on the road to Emmaus; Lu24:15.) Isn’t it surprising?

At the second interview before Pharisees’ the man testified Jesus as a prophet, because at a moment he knew Jesus to this level only. And at this time he stood some what in the middle ground saying ‘’whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: he was not clear but answered carefully and diplomatically. But finally, growing in his faith he gave very strong and clear testimony even rebuking the authorized Pharisees. The man, crossing through this all temptation having been refined, being promoted he could approach to the highest level up to the Lord: the man being thrown by the opponents changed for good; he instantly reached to the final stage to the Lord; (Vv 34-38.) (For the man this temptation and being thrown out was the second birth or baptism that he faced after washing in the pool. It was as that of Jesus after the Jordan; (Mk1 9, 12, 13.) the healed man walked straight for ward in Jesus to Jesus. It was an inspired word of Jesus who led the man down to the pool, back from the pool and being with him in the temptation and helped him to cross over the temptation and finally brought back to Jesus, Himself (Is55:10, 11).

I love this man too: and I love you also because you love the man. He is not only one of the unsung heroes but also he is the first man to face persecution in the name of Jesus (in Gospel). His testimony could even shook the community, split the Pharisees into two parties making division among them which was even gain or interest for God. He could capture or snatch some of Pharisees exploiting for God’s glory.

Though the Pharisees according to their supreme power in the community, they argued the man with great pressure anticipating to get the healed man had denied Jesus; but unexpectedly his pressure against them became more powerful and caused them to deny one another:

But if the healed man had denied Jesus according to the Pharisees pressure (agitation) what would happen to him? If he had denied Jesus, his new and bright self would have been denied him and he would go back to his previous life; even worse; (Jn5:14). Yes, the worse would happen to him as worse as seven times; (Lu11:24-26)

The man’s blindness:- I see this man as a mirror through whom every human being could see or could learn his/her blindness through generations. His being borne blind is surprising; it’s not curse but miracle. His blindness is for good and blessing or benefit not curse; (Rm8:28). God did not work through many healthy ones but through this defect man. When God’s work displayed in his life devils work (blindness, darkness) displayed in the world side by side. Otherwise, no body could have seen his/her inner blindness at all. And again, and again I show my love to this man. (I learned from you to say like this)

Moreover, I see this man born blind in outer world as a judgment or sign to those all born blind in inner most worlds. Jesus is key to open his eyes (Re3:7) and the man was a key to open and expose the inner blindness of the world in Jesus. The Pharisees and their members could have learned from this blind man of what he was silently telling, saying, ‘’you all are born blind like me’’. He was telling without word & without speech; (Ps19:1_4). Oh! Dear friends though our ears are calloused due to the uncircumcision: nothing is silent that made around us: (Jer6:10; Ac7:51) though we do not give ear each and every thing witnessing against us. If our ears circumcised, we could hear that the world couldn’t hear; and see that the world couldn’t see, our ears go beyond and our eyes go beyond or across the universe; that is how we differ from the world. (Matt13:16)

When the man’s eyes sprout out for good, the opponent’s eyes sprout out for bad; (his was the key to open theirs’) Jn.5:28, 29 (And the resurrection of the man’s sight was the cause for the resurrection of Pharisees blindness; side by side.) (Ps50:4; Lk19:40; Jos24:26_27; Hab2:11) no body surprised in all the world’s borne blindness but all surprised in one person’s visibly born blindness.

When we come to verse 2 of disciples questions, they questioned for differentiation and for approval only, already condemning based on outward appearance and on the law as that of Pharisees v34: because human being in general judge on outward appearance (1Sa16:6-7, Jn8:15, 7:24) But Jesus didn’t approve their idea instead He set free both parents as well as the man from the sin of blindness, turning the law upside down including their idea; astonishingly. He bloated out their sins in the air? Do you agree? If Jesus had bloated out their sins in the air as questioned, He wouldn’t have been the final judge; instead He swallowed up their sins all: He is the God, who foretold to come and who expected to swallow up death forever Is25: 8; Yes; He, Jesus is my God and your God who for told to come and swallow up my death and your death (sins) forever: Praise and glory be to Him forever Amen. And in the same way He, Jesus is Aaron’s staff who was swallowed up all the staffs of Egyptian; (Ex7: 10_12; 1Co15:54). He died the death with the death He swallowed. He took our sins means He swallowed our death; He purposely did this, by swallowing the death (sins) he died in order to kill it: when He died, the death died too, finished; (Jn19:33)

Disciples’ asking Jesus means not an ordinary question, but it is prayer. In this case the disciples were saved from condemning blindly. On the other hand, all the human defect or suffering in general is the result of sin though Jesus’ view is far beyond that of humans, disciples or Pharisees (Deu28:28, Lev21:16-21, 26:16.) He, being the Savior, the judge, the advocator; (1Jn2:1,) with supreme view and authority pronounced’ ‘’neither this man nor his parents sinned’.’
The reasons why Jesus put their sins not upon them are:-
a) His task to come to the world is not to load men’s burden on men’s shoulder but on Himself, Is53:4-6,11b Matt8:17.
b) His mission is not to condemn the world but to save, Jn3:17
c) He, Jesus as a reconciler He doesn’t count men’s sins against them. If He does count, it is against his mission and He couldn’t been reconciler and none of us be saved, nor the man, (2Co5:19,)
d) He, Jesus sees not as man sees 1Sa16:6-7, Jn8:15 Is11:3b and Judge not on mere appearances Jn8:15, 7:24.
I apologize for my poor English, thank you for your reading mercifully, patiently and humbly as your student. I am not well educated man.