"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."
John 9:35-38
This is after the story of Jesus healing the man born blind. It is an interesting story for many reasons. The healing part show us how Christ's healing is different from the world's healing. When Christ heals, it doesn't require therapy, learning how to walk over again, or understanding sight when you have never had it. It just works... it is not just physical healing, but healing on every level.
I think this follow up part of the story is also part of Christ's healing and his individual love. Because the man who was healed of blindness praised Jesus for his healing instead of condemning him as a sinner, he was cast out of the synagogue--I imagine that would be like being excommunicated or disfellowshipped nowadays, but it might not have been quite that severe. Either way, it sounds like he was unable to attend church meetings, which can be a pretty serious impediment when God asks us to meet together often and support each other. Jesus heard about this happening, and so he went back to find him and support him personally. I think that is amazing, just by itself. He wasn't too busy to follow up with someone he had already healed, because it wasn't just about the healing, it was about the person, and the relationship.
I think this is reflected in how Christ works in our lives as well. He loves us. It isn't just about answering a prayer, like being a genie-figure and granting a wish and then disappearing. Christ loves us, and he works with us throughout our lives if we allow him in and listen to him. It's actually the reason that sometimes the answer to our prayers is no. Because God loves us, he doesn't want to answer our prayers when he knows that we are praying for something that will hurt us. He waits, which is basically a message to us that we need to ponder what we're asking and make sure that we're leaving room for God's will, rather than being unwilling to accept anything but our one favored answer.
Today, let's remember that God works with us out of love, and he isn't just a prayer vending machine. Let's take the time to ponder his words and listen to his prophets. Let's listen rather than just asking for things. As we do, we will feel his love and know that God is there to help us always, not just in the more dramatic moments. He wants to be good friends with us, not just brief acquaintances.
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."
John 9:35-38
This is after the story of Jesus healing the man born blind. It is an interesting story for many reasons. The healing part show us how Christ's healing is different from the world's healing. When Christ heals, it doesn't require therapy, learning how to walk over again, or understanding sight when you have never had it. It just works... it is not just physical healing, but healing on every level.
I think this follow up part of the story is also part of Christ's healing and his individual love. Because the man who was healed of blindness praised Jesus for his healing instead of condemning him as a sinner, he was cast out of the synagogue--I imagine that would be like being excommunicated or disfellowshipped nowadays, but it might not have been quite that severe. Either way, it sounds like he was unable to attend church meetings, which can be a pretty serious impediment when God asks us to meet together often and support each other. Jesus heard about this happening, and so he went back to find him and support him personally. I think that is amazing, just by itself. He wasn't too busy to follow up with someone he had already healed, because it wasn't just about the healing, it was about the person, and the relationship.
I think this is reflected in how Christ works in our lives as well. He loves us. It isn't just about answering a prayer, like being a genie-figure and granting a wish and then disappearing. Christ loves us, and he works with us throughout our lives if we allow him in and listen to him. It's actually the reason that sometimes the answer to our prayers is no. Because God loves us, he doesn't want to answer our prayers when he knows that we are praying for something that will hurt us. He waits, which is basically a message to us that we need to ponder what we're asking and make sure that we're leaving room for God's will, rather than being unwilling to accept anything but our one favored answer.
Today, let's remember that God works with us out of love, and he isn't just a prayer vending machine. Let's take the time to ponder his words and listen to his prophets. Let's listen rather than just asking for things. As we do, we will feel his love and know that God is there to help us always, not just in the more dramatic moments. He wants to be good friends with us, not just brief acquaintances.
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