Answers reveal what you know. Questions reveal what you value.

These were the thoughts I jotted down after reading North Pointe’s Bible chapter of the day: John 9.

The passage begins with a question.

Upon seeing a blind man, Jesus’ disciples questioned: “…who sinned, this man or his parents?”

Their question revealed their values. They valued being right.

Upon observing a man’s blindness they only cared to know why it happened to him. Who was responsible? For them, life was a simple equation – “sickness = sin” – so who done it?

Their question revealed they needed a value adjustment.

Jesus valued doing the works of God.

It mattered not to him why the man was blind but that he was blind.

Jesus valued purpose. His actions say, “I know my purpose and it has a limited life span: I need to do what I can do, while I can.” Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud, applied it to the man’s eyes and sent him to wash and see. He left with a need and came back with a miracle.

Jesus makes two things clear for us:

1. The work of God is about doing right, not just being right. There is none so blind as he who will not see. The disciples’ future actions showed they got the point. The disciple Peter is approached by a lame man and Peter tells him, “In the name of Jesus get up and walk.” He walked!

2. The work of God is not to find fault but to find a way. As followers of Jesus we are to apply our energy to releasing prisoners of darkness, binding up the brokenhearted and opening the eyes of the blind. We need to watch for needs, believe for miracles, offer hope and do the works of God.

We are called to do the works of God.

We are called to bind up the brokenhearted, set the captive free, bring good news to the poor.

We are called to be like Jesus.

Please leave a comment or share a story of what you learned from John Chapter 9.