John 9:8-26

Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. If you haven’t read the Introduction to John’s Gospel, read it here.

If you haven’t already, read the first part of the story of Jesus’ healing of the blind man in John 9:1-7. Then read John 9:8-26 noticing the various reactions to the healing.

Miracles aren’t necessarily flashy. In this case, the blind man washes the mud off his sightless eyes and finds that he can see. There are no angel choirs or voices from heaven – just sight where there was no sight.

The neighbors and acquaintances first try to reason it out, but in the end they turn the man in to the authorities because of the illegal timing of his healing. The Pharisees decide that the man is lying about being blind in the first place, and his parents plead the fifth for fear they be expelled from their religious community.

The miracle wasn’t flashy, but it was disruptive.

Stop to consider whether you might have an obstacle that keeps you from seeing the work of Jesus in your life and in other’s lives. Is it possible that rationalization, disbelief or fear are blinding you to Jesus’ work? Talk to Jesus about this for a moment or two.

With whom do you most identify in the story: the man, the neighbors, the Pharisees or the parents?

Choose the perspective of either the healed man, the neighbors, the Pharisees or the parents and read John 9:8-26 again as if you are part of the story. You might want to “try on” a couple of different perspectives.

Jesus’ work is always good, but when something changes, even for the better, it can be unsettling. Our patterns and perspectives, even destructive ones, are what we know. Familiarity can keep us from transformative change.

For the last couple of minutes of this meditation, get quiet in the presence of Jesus. When you are feeling centered, consider the following questions:

What stood out to you most from today’s meditation?

What made you feel most uncomfortable in this meditation?

How do you believe Jesus might be asking you to respond?

What will you do about that?

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