Mud and Spit

When Jesus saw the man born blind, knelt down on one knee, spit heavily in the dirt, made some mud, and then scooped it up in his hand, everyone had to wonder, "What in the world is going on here?"  And when that man who had never seen anything at all felt the cool mess being wiped across his unseeing eyes, his first reaction of pulling back apparently was overcome by his surprise at the unexpected.  There seems to be no words of warning about what was to come.  One minute people were talking, then there was such silence you could hear breathing, and then came the wet dirt on his eyes.

 

One might also think at this point that the deed was done.  Whatever Jesus was going to accomplish in that moment on the road was done.  Surely, the man was about to see.  Everyone was waiting on tip toe full of expectation.  Then Jesus said, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam." (John 9:7)  This thing was not yet over.  Everything was now up to the man who had never seen anything in his whole life.  There was something he would have to do.  He had to first of all decide if he was going to do it and then he had to make his way to the place of washing.  It is a moment which reminds us of the story of the ten lepers whom Jesus told to go show themselves to the priest.  They had a similar decision before them.

It is not an uncommon thing to happen when we have an encounter with Jesus.  We are likely to hear some word from Him which requires action on our part.  Sometimes what we hear goes against the grain of our own common sense.  Sometimes it seems like he is telling us to do something outrageous.  Faith can be expressed in a lot of different ways.  Surely, if what we do is in response to our time with Jesus, it carries with it the power of a faith that can move mountains, or maybe even change the heart within us.