10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
12 "Where is this man?" they asked him.
"I don't know," he said.
Here our protagonist gives a factual albeit brief account of the miracle just performed on his blind eyes by our Lord Jesus. This exhibition of God’s love certainly aroused the crowd’s curiosity. If he were indeed the man born blind yet now seeing – how did something so supernatural occur? Such a mighty miracle had caused quite a stir amongst the people – his story rapidly becoming the center of all the town talk and they began to demand some answers. Questions and confusion abounded and perhaps even a few raised eyebrows as well. The impossible had been done and the crowds were more than curious. Giving eyesight to one that was born blind was a work that could not be accomplished by mere man – this miracle certainly had the finger marks of God all over it.
God delights in doing these “pala” works – works that are simply too hard for man to do – showing forth His amazing, achieving power. Truly, there is nothing too hard for the Lord. The prophet Jeremiah tells us:
17 "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jer 32:17 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I find it very comforting that nothing is too hard for the God I serve! Later in Jeremiah we find these awesome words regarding the power and creativity of our God:
15 "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 16 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 17 "Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 18 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 19 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance--the LORD Almighty is his name. Jer 51:15-19 (NIV)
In giving his brief account of the miracle performed, our once blind man states that Jesus had placed mud on His eyes and then commanded him to go and wash. It was then in his obedience to the command that his eyes were opened. Faith follows the command producing wholeness in the obedient. Our obedience gives feet to faith. Paul tells us in Romans:
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. Romans 1:5 (NIV)
John also tells us in 2 John:
6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2 John 1:6 (NIV)
Our now seeing guy states his story to the crowds as he was ever ready to communicate his experience – fulfilling a debt he owed to both his Benefactor as well as to his brothers. God’s favors are lost on us if they are lost with us and go no further. Unfortunately, oftentimes we allow pride, distractions, ingratitude, or a myriad of other excuses to prevent us from sharing this very good news with others. I am reminded of the demoniac Jesus healed. After his healing he begged Jesus to let him go with Him and rightly so – Jesus had just freed him from the darkest prison. Yet Jesus’ response was as follows:
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20 (NIV)
Our healed blind man had never actually seen his Savior - by the time he had regained his sight, he had lost his Physician. All he knew was that He was called Jesus – a Savior – his Savior. He thus is faithful to speak forth the truth that he knows.
"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."