A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                          A HANDFUL OF MUD PART IV

"We, Jesus' disciples, had met a man blind from birth.... And Jesus had told us the reason for his blindness was not what we expected it to be... He told us it was to display the work of God in his life... We did not know what exactly He meant with these words.... So we just waited.... We did not need to wait too long... For soon after He had spoken these words Jesus bent over.... He then used some of His saliva to make mud from the dry soil....We then watched Him take the mud and put it on the blind man's eyes.... The blind man may have wondered why he suddenly had something sticky on his eyes... But he did not say anything... He just let Jesus apply the mud to his eyes... Jesus then spoke to the blind man...He told him to wash himself...But he was not to wash himself just anywhere... No, he was to wash himself in the Pool of Siloam.... We all know where the Pool of Siloam is... We next saw the blind man get up."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn how Jesus treated the blind man....

              ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                      A HANDFUL OF MUD PART IV

Having heard His disciples' explanationwhy the blind man was born that way, Jesus helps His disciples to see beyond their narrow understanding. He wants them to grasp that the purpose of this man's blindness is not to show up anyone's sinfulness but rather to demonstrate the power of God in this man's life. And so Jesus goes to work as you can read in John 9:6-7a

Having said this, He spat on the ground, made some mud with the salive, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," He told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent).

Why does Jesus spit on the ground, make mud with his saliva and then puts the mixture on the man's eyes? Because, according to Jewish Tradition, the saliva of the first born contains healing power. However, none of us, whether or not you are a first born son, should make a practice of it, thinking that it is the proper formula to heal someone's blindness for that is not the case.