The Blind Man or Someone Like Him? - John 9:9

The apostle John wrote, “as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?”, and in chapter nine and verse nine of his book John shared how some neighbors said, “this is he: others said, He is like him” where we read:

Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

The verse reads, “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him:” John began with the words, “Some said” which means “a few or small number of people uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “this is he” or “this is the blind man”: “others said” which means “a few or small number of people uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “He is like him” or “this man is similar to and in likeness to the blind man”. John shared how “some” of the “neighbors” and people who knew the “blind man” said the man Jesus healed was actually the “blind man”, and “others” proclaimed that the man was similar to him.

The verse continues, “but he said, I am he.” John added the words, “but he said” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover the blind man uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “I am he” or “I exist as the blind man”. John shared how the “blind man” intervened in the wonder of the crowd as to who he was by sharing with them that it was indeed him who was blind and had been healed by Jesus.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we discover how the people observing the “blind man” who could now see began to apprise him. “Some” believed this man to be the “blind man”, and still “others” thought he was only similar to him. The “blind man” who could now see knew exactly who He was. Perhaps he looked a little different with his eyes healed, or maybe he was not as well known by some of the crowd. Whichever the case, this man who was blind could now see, and Jesus performed a miracle upon him. God desires to alter any person who will yield themselves to His Son Jesus, and when they encounter the “Savior and Lord” of the world, perhaps some will look upon them and know who they are and some will not, but the person will certainly be able to “spiritually” see.

Next time John shares how the neighbors ask, “how were your eyes opened?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".