Considering
how Jesus would do this took me to one of his sight-healing miracles. This is the
way he brought about healing of a man’s blindness: “Having said these things, he spit on the ground and
made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud
and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means
Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.”[5]
I share this
for one simple reason, that Jesus applied salve to the man’s eyes and healed his
blindness. The salve was not some manmade ointment, as that which was made
famous in Laodicea. Rather, it was something of an earthly nature that had no
power to heal whatsoever. Conclusion: the man was not healed by a muddy,
spitting-image of salve; he was healed by Jesus. His healing took place because
he obeyed Jesus.
Blind souls still
find their healing by listening to Jesus and doing whatever he instructs. This
usually brings some of his people together to minister to one another as the
members of his body doing the bidding of the church’s head. It always involves individuals
calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, and so experiencing the
sight-giving work of the Savior.
One of the
things that reinforces our faith in Jesus to heal even the blindness of our
souls is the way that he fulfilled prophecy. If God spoke something hundreds of
years before something happened, and Jesus came and fulfilled those words in
such detail that there is no other way to explain it than to acknowledge the
divine will, then Jesus will also do everything he has promised for his people,
no matter how long ago he first spoke those words.
Seven hundred
years before Jesus came, it was prophesied through Isaiah that the Messiah
would:
·
“bring good news to the poor”
·
“bind up the brokenhearted”
·
“proclaim liberty to the captives”
·
“open the prison to those who are bound:
·
“proclaim the year of the Lord's favor”
·
“(proclaim) the day of vengeance of our God”
·
“comfort all who mourn”
·
“grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful
headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the
garment of praise instead of a faint spirit”
·
See to it “that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”[6]
When Jesus came,
he read from that scroll of the Bible and declared that those words were
speaking of him. He promised that:
·
He would “proclaim
good news to the poor”
·
He would “proclaim
liberty to the captives”
·
He would proclaim “recovering of sight to the blind”
·
He would “set
at liberty those who are oppressed,”
·
He would “proclaim
the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:17-21)
This is why,
approximately six decades later, Jesus would write the spiritually blind Laodicean
church: “buy from me salve to anoint your
eyes, so that you may see,”[7]
and fully expect them to accept his reproof and discipline and “be zealous and repent.”[8]
The point was simple: if they would hear his words, and repent of their
lukewarmness, they would see. And, they would see him as people sitting down at
a table in precious fellowship with God.[9]
It doesn’t
matter if someone is blind because they have never come to Jesus, or whether a
whole church is blind because they have lost sight of Jesus, anyone who comes
to Jesus in repentance and faith will regain their sight. If we will obey his
word, even when it seems like we are doing nothing more than washing mud from
our eyes, putting his words into practice will cause us to see.
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
Revelation 3:18
[2]
Revelation 3:14-22
[3]
Revelation 3:17
[4]
“Come, everyone who
thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come,
buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not
satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves
in rich food.” (Isaiah 55:1-2)
[5]
John 9:6-7
[6]
Isaiah 61:1-3
[7]
Revelation 3:18
[8]
Revelation 3:19
[9]
Revelation 3:20
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