Hello, 1nebody,
I hope February has been a great month for you and your loved ones so far. I can’t believe we are almost at the end of the second month of 2025. God remains faithful. We are alive and well today to the glory of God.
Today, I would like us to take a quick look at two similar accounts of Jesus’ healings in the book of John, but with opposite responses and outcomes. In John 5, is the account of the invalid at the Sheep Gate, a man who had been ill for 38 years! Then, in John 9, we are told about the man who was born blind. The two men had their sicknesses/disabilities for a long time and Jesus healed them. However, like the parable of the ten lepers, only one desired to truly know Jesus beyond his healing. I will create a table below to illustrate the key details I want to pull out for us to learn from.
| The Invalid (John 5) | The Blind (John 9) | |
| The Problem | Sick for 38 years before Jesus healed him. | Blind from birth until Jesus healed him. |
| Jesus’ Solution | Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (v. 6 NIV). | Jesus said to him, “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (v. 7 NIV). |
| Their Response | Instead of saying yes, the invalid gave an excuse why he had not been healed. | The blind man did as Jesus said. |
| The Outcome | He had no idea who Jesus was but after he found Jesus again, the only thing he did was to tell the Jewish leaders who had been asking that Jesus healed him (v. 11-15). | He knew of Jesus, he called Him a prophet when asked and when he found Jesus again, he got to truly know Jesus (v. 35-39), |
I created this table to show the similarities yet so many contrasts in these stories. Sadly, a lot of times, we are like the invalid in our responses to God’s divine leading. When God speaks to us concerning a thing we have been longing for, instead of yielding, we give excuses like this man. Instead of trusting God’s leading, and resting in the assurance that He will do, we are busy working out how and when God will do what we have prayed for. The invalid’s response suggested that the pool was the only channel through which God could heal him. Jesus only asked if he would like to be well but he limited God in his response. The blind man in chapter 9 could also have said he couldn’t make his way to the pool because he is blind, instead, he trusted in Jesus’ leading.
The accounts also ended differently; the blind man had an encounter with Jesus. He yielded to the leading of Jesus and had the desire to truly know Him.
If you are reading this and do not know Jesus or have a relationship with Him, I encourage you to take the way of the blind man and not the invalid. Make the decision this moment and submit to His Lordship. If you are ready, I invite you to say the prayer below.
Dear Jesus, I accept you today as my Lord and personal Saviour. I confess that I have sinned, please forgive me. I believe that you died and rose again for me. By your blood, cleanse me from every unrighteousness. Thank you for the new life you have given me, help me to serve you all the days of my life. Ultimately, please help me make it to eternity with you, in Jesus name. Amen
Congratulations, heaven rejoices over you! If you said this prayer and would like additional information/guidance, please send an email to 1nebodyblog@gmail.com.
God bless,
Dasola
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