LESSON XI.—SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 1899
CHRIST HEALING THE BLIND MAN.
1. "And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from his birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who did sin, 3 this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but that 4 the works of God should be made manifest in him. We must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the 5 night cometh, when no man can work. When I am in the 6 world, I am the light of the world." When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, 7 and anointed his eyes with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). 8 He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbors therefore, and they which saw him aforetime, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9 Others said, It is he: others said, No, but he is like him. 10 He said, I am he. They said therefore unto him, How then 11 were thine eyes opened? He answered, The man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to Siloam, and wash; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." Golden Text.—"One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (1) What feast was in progress at the time of the incident mentioned in this lesson? and where was Jesus at this time? Note 1. (2) As Jesus was passing along, who attracted His special attention? V. 1. (3) What question did the disciples ask? V. 2. Note 2. (4) How did Jesus reply to their query? V. 3. Note 3. (5) What did He say in regard to His work? V. 4. Note 4. (6) What was Jesus to the world? V. 5. (7) What then did He do to the blind man? V. 6. Note 5. (8) After anointing the eyes of the blind beggar, what did Jesus say to him? How did the blind man regard this command? What was the result? V. 7. Note 6. (9) What did the neighbors of the blind man say when they saw that he had received sight? V. 8. Note 7. (10) What different opinions were expressed? What did the beggar himself say? V. 9. (11) What question did some of the people ask him? V. 10. (12) What was his reply? V. 11. 1. The feast of tabernacles was still in progress, and Jesus was yet in Jerusalem. Of the six miracles connected with blindness, recorded in the New Testament, this is the only case described as blindness from birth. This species of blindness, excepting that of congenital cataract, is still deemed to be beyond the reach of human skill; and in oriental countries, blindness is far more frequent than in the West. Yet blindness from birth is said to be as rare in the East as in the West; so that circumstance was all the more notable. 2. "Who did sin?"—All calamities, especially poverty and physical maladies of a supposed incurable nature, were generally attributed by the Jews to the direct judgment of God. Hence this question by the disciples. It is pertinent, also, to note that Job's friends looked upon his property loss and bodily affliction in the same light. And of Christ the prophet says, "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." Isa. 53:4. 3. Neither the blind man nor his parents had sinned in a way to be the special cause of his unfortunate condition, altho in a general way suffering is the result of sin. This case was in the providence of God permitted that the power of God might be shown in Christ. The man was in the end more than repaid; for the opening of his physical eyes resulted in the awakening of his spirit to behold the riches of salvation within his reach. So did Job's affliction turn out for his good, and in both cases the name of the Lord was magnified. 4. "While it is day."—While there is opportunity. This is a lesson that needs to be impressed at this very time. The days of human probation, while the Word of God is amongst men, and His Spirit is drawing them, are fast passing away. The close of these days will indeed be a night of unprecedented darkness, "when no man can work" longer for the salvation of souls. Let us follow the example of the Master, and "work while it is day." 5. How appropriate that He who is the "Light of the world" should give sight to the blind! Here was indubitable proof of Creatorship, to any who had not wilfully closed their eyes to all evidence. See Matt. 13:15. 6. "Go, wash."—Here was the test of faith. Neither the clay nor the washing applied in the ordinary way as a remedy would have had any effect. But the power of God in His Word, in answer to faith in that Word, brought the healing. "He went his way therefore," and the obedience proved his faith. "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. 7. A beggar.—"All the roads leading to Jerusalem, like the temple itself, were much frequented, at times of the feasts, by beggars, who reaped a special harvest from the charity of the pilgrims."—Geikie. Travelers tell us that in Italy and Spain, beggars gather about church doors in great numbers.