The Lord Jesus during his ministry set free many people possessed by demons, healed countless lepers, paralytics and blind people. The Gospels, one after the other, tell us the story of this life so devoted to men.
In this article we will focus on the healings of a 38-years long paralytic (John 5) and a born blind man (John 9) whose circumstances the apostle John takes care to describe.
Two distinct pasts
For practical questions, we will begin by addressing the past of the man born blind, before analyzing that of the paralytic.
Born blind “that the works of God should be made manifest in him”
God in his sovereignty wanted extraordinary miracles to occur through the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that it would prove to those who still doubted it, that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. And for these miracles to take place, God allowed exceptional situations of distress to occur. The Gospel of John highlights 2 main ones: the healing of a man born blind and the resurrection of a man who had been dead and buried for 4 days. But in both cases the Lord clearly declares that this happened for a very specific reason. Regarding the resurrection of Lazarus which occurred by the end of his ministry, “he (Jesus) said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby*” As for the healing of the man born blind which took place much earlier, “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
The potential consequence of a sin
Without risking being peremptory on the subject, at least two elements of the story suggest the fact that the paralytic whom the Lord Jesus met and healed long before the man born blind, suffered from a paralysis which was a consequence of his sin.
- The reason comes to us from the reaction of the disciples of the Lord Jesus when they later met the man born blind. They considered that the illness probably came from him or from his parents, and probably wondered about the responsibility of the parents because a baby is supposed to be born innocent, while this one was born already blind. However, we will note that the Lord did not correct them on the relevance of their analysis, but simply made them understand that the case of this man born blind was special: the evil was not the consequence of any sin, neither his nor that of his parents. And if the disciples had not considered this exceptional eventuality themselves, it is probably because it did not apply to that of the paralytic encountered by the Lord much earlier. Now, let us note that in both cases, they were in the presence of a man plunged into infernal pain for decades, more precisely 38 years for the paralytic (John 5:5), as for the man born blind, his parents affirmed at the time of the scene, that he was of age, that is to say that he was mature; which suggests that he was at least 20 years old (age of maturity in the old covenant).
- A legitimate doubt could remain in your mind after these seemingly limited explanations, except that the Lord's warning to this paralytic after he had healed him, seems to confirm this hypothesis: “Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing* come unto thee.” We can therefore legitimately ask ourselves the question of why the Lord asked him to stop sinning for fear that something worse will happen to him? Had he first committed a certain sin that led to this oh-so-disabling paralysis? Finally, let us remember that the only time in the Gospels where the Lord warned against the condition of a man that could get worse after experiencing recovery was when he was teaching about deliverance from demons. (Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26).
In summary, we would be here firstly (John 5) in the presence of a paralytic who has known 38 years of suffering, probably for having committed a certain sin; then secondly (John 9), faced with a man born blind who will have gone through at least early childhood and adolescence in darkness without either he or his parents having been guilty of the slightest sin that would be the cause. But here, in both cases, the Grace, the Mercy, the Miracle of God put an end to this ordeal through the Lord Jesus Christ; and how impressive each of these miracles was!
Two extraordinary miracles
Of course, we agree that every miracle is by its very nature extraordinary, but this is to point out to us that even divine interventions are graduated, and that the two miracles we are studying were very high.
Bethesda pool
In Jerusalem, near the sheep gate, there was a pool which in the Hebrew tongue was called Bethesda, and which had five porches. “In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” Among these sick people awaiting angelic healing (administered by an angel), was the paralytic whose healing we are studying. Though, “Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”
An angelic miracle was taking place in the pool, but mercy was subject to condition, it was necessary, after each new movement of the water, to be the most athletic of the remaining unwell, or to have a person who would help you to dive first in the water. This was a level of divine miracle, but this level disqualified this paralytic who, despite the 38 years of misery already experienced, still ran the risk of seeing this season of miracles pass without him being cured. However, in His Grace and Goodness, God brought into play a higher level of Grace, healing no longer angelic, but messianic, the ministry no longer of the angel, but that of Christ himself. Supreme Grace was deployed to reach this paralytic drunk with suffering.
Pool of Siloam ("which is by interpretation, Sent")
After the previous miracle where the Lord Jesus did without the pool, this time he sent the blind man, able to use his legs, to a pool whose name was evocative for him, "Sent". Indeed, this miracle is a fitting reminder of the healing that God granted to Naaman the Syrian through the prophet Elisha who sent him to wash seven times in the Jordan. (2 Kings 5). Only one important difference appears here: the blind man had not lost his sight during his life; he was born that way.
But this blind man, whose story of healing sufficiently demonstrates that he knew the Scriptures, responded favorably to this call to faith that Jesus made to him.
Therefore, once Jesus, after putting mud made from saliva on his face, sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam; he did not repeat the same reasonings which almost trapped Naaman, but he had faith, and throughout his walk to the indicated place, he never turned back. “He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” The Splendor of the miracle thus established the messianic nature of Christ, for as this newly sighted man, and yet well versed in the Scriptures, could attest at that time, “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.”
Thus, both the healing of the paralytic and that of the born blind man were high miracles. But if we take the trouble to examine the past of these two men suffering in their flesh, if we have tried to grasp the oh-so-high measure of the miracle wrought for each of them, it is to better analyze the everyone's response to such a great miracle.
Treatry vs Sacrifice
Each of these two miracles was performed by the Lord Jesus Christ on a Sabbath day (John 5:10; John 9:14); apart from being blind (spiritual) as they were, scribes and Pharisees had an erroneous interpretation of the Scriptures and respect for the law; we see it in particular in two circumstances described one after the other by Matthew (Chapter 12: 1 to 14) in these terms:
“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”
But we will note, and this is the heart of our article, diametrically opposed reactions on the part of the paralytic on the one hand, then of the blind on the other hand, when it was asked by the Pharisees, each of them in his time, to reveal the author of his healing then considered as not respecting the law and deserving to be punished. Let’s reread what their reactions were:
Reaction of the paralytic
“The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.”
Reaction or the born blind
“The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
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. And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
Restricted Healing vs. Full Gift of God
Before commenting, if there is still any need, on these two reactions; we will add a third case of healing granted by the Messiah to ten lepers, the story is told to us by Luke (chapter 17: 11 to 19)
“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
We see the blatant ingratitude of the paralytic who, despite the sustained suffering he had suffered and which, as we have seen, was probably the consequence of a sin committed, did not deign for a single instant to show the least gratitude to his benefactor, the Lord who had granted him this oh so undeserved healing. We see rather that, after he was asked the identity of the one who had healed him and he met the Lord again in the temple, he did not deign to listen to the loving recommendation of Christ, prescribing him to sin no more for fear that something worse would happen to him. Perhaps he imagined that he should just be a little more careful about the type of sin that had led him to paralysis, but the fact remains that he did not deign to implore His help for this new life to which he was invited; On the other hand, one thing is certain, as soon as he was warned, he committed the worst sin he could commit: revealing the identity of the Lord Jesus, well aware that those who asked him wanted to punish him for having done so on a Sabbath day. What a tragedy! Judas was therefore not the first to betray Christ. This attitude of ingratitude, we also see it in the 9 lepers who did not deign to return to thank the Lord Jesus after having been healed, unlike the Samaritan, the 10th. However, if in one case as in the other is indeed a question of ingratitude. With the case of the paralytic, ingratitude is doubled by betrayal, because not only is there a lack of recognition, but much worse, there is delivery to the enemy, assistance to the one who wants to harm our benefactor.
What do we see conversely with the man born blind, perhaps after having learned the quality of life of his parents and his own, he knew pertinently that he was not the victim of the consequence of any sin (as Christ himself attested); but for all that, he never cursed God. And when finally, the opportunity arose, he received healing from the Lord. And what do we observe when he was dragged before the Pharisees, he did not at any time stand against his benefactor: although not clearly knowing his identity, he knew he was dealing at least with a prophet. Although the Pharisees had threatened to exclude from the synagogue those who would recognize Jesus as the Christ (John 9:22), he knew that he had to deal with a Servant of God. And when, like the paralytic, he later met the Messiah who revealed his identity to him, he did not behave like the latter, but accepted the Word, the invitation of Christ: to believe in the Son of God; because as soon as the Lord revealed to him that he was this Son of God, whom he invited to believe; immediately this man with his eyes both biological and spiritual open, spontaneously prostrated himself before the Lord and declared: “Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him” (John 9:35 to 38). What we want to present here, what strikes the eye first for both the man born blind and the grateful leper, is the healing that they had each received, and to a certain extent the gratitude that they had shown. But in reality, beyond these bodily healings, these two experienced much more, spiritual healing: they were saved.
Physical healing, like the miracle, is regularly used by God to attract us to something greater: to invite us to have faith in Christ, as did these two grateful people who for one took the risk of excommunication and for the other did not take into account his bad reputation as a Samaritan. Their gratitude opened their hearts to faith, to salvation.
On the other hand, as we see with the paralytic or the 9 other lepers, ingratitude at worst, exposes us rather to falling back into the same errors but with worse consequences; and at best, it prevents us from receiving the fullness of God for us in Christ Jesus!
Let us be grateful to God the Creator, for each of his works in our life. Let us not take anything for granted, let us know how to give thanks that are pleasing to the Lord God!
In Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
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