{"id":227596,"date":"2023-06-13T11:25:36","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T15:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=227596"},"modified":"2024-08-14T15:28:51","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T19:28:51","slug":"seizing-the-good-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/seizing-the-good-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Seizing the Good Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accept What You Can\u2019t Know, Act on What You Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Reader,<\/p>\n

John tells a story in the ninth chapter of his book about a man who\u2019d been blind from birth. The disciples want to know whether he sinned or his parents did, because they\u2019d been taught all suffering was the result of sin. Jesus refuses to address the cause and effect. He leaves the mystery of suffering on the table to announce instead that the power of God is about to be displayed in the blind man\u2019s life and to remind the disciples that He, Jesus, is the Light of the World.<\/p>\n

That sliver of supernatural biographical information reaches beyond the blind man to you and me. Without Jesus, Light of the World, none of us can see God. Throughout Scripture, the physical eye is used to represent spiritual seeing or perception (Matthew 6:22\u2013 23, Ephesians 1:18). With that in mind, let\u2019s see what implications this story holds for us.<\/p>\n

When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes, and said to him, \u201cGo, wash in the pool of Siloam\u201d (which is translated, Sent). So, he left and washed, and came back seeing.<\/p>\n

John doesn\u2019t say why Jesus initiated this exchange with the blind man instead of the blind man reaching for Jesus. Maybe the man was resigned to his sightless life. Perhaps he didn\u2019t know who Jesus was, or he was unaware of His arrival. Regardless, once Jesus rubs mud on the man\u2019s eyes, the guy is open to further instruction. Mark that and consider our present situation. We may be resigned to the darkness of our world, but Jesus isn\u2019t okay with the status quo. He knows He is the Light, and He knows how badly we need Him. Jesus will allow us to feel desperation for our own good. Brace yourself: He\u2019ll even create it. Indeed, Jesus is willing to rub mud in our eyes to get us to respond and see Him for Who He is. He\u2019ll aggravate our condition to encourage us to seek grace. What a Savior!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s keep reading. As the story progresses, the man\u2019s spiritual eyesight will become clearer as he acts on what he begins to understand\u2014brilliantly illustrating that obedience to what we know opens our understanding for more revelation.<\/p>\n

So the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, \u201cIs this not the one who used to sit and beg?\u201d Others were saying, \u201cThis is he,\u201d still others were saying, \u201cNo, but he is like him.\u201d The man himself kept saying, \u201cI am the one.\u201d So they were saying to him, \u201cHow then were your eyes opened?\u201d He answered, \u201cThe man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me, \u2018Go to Siloam and wash\u2019; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.\u201d And they said to him, \u201cWhere is He?\u201d He said, \u201cI do not know.\u201d They brought the man who was previously blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath on the day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, \u201cHe applied mud to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.\u201d Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, \u201cThis man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.\u201d But others were saying, \u201cHow can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?\u201d<\/p>\n

And there was dissension among them. So they said again to the man who was blind, \u201cWhat do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?\u201d And he said, \u201cHe is a prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t