| 在前一章，基督作出一個驚人的宣告：「我是世上的光。」我們可以說，這一章正是那個宣言的證明。基督開一個瞎子的眼，以至他能重見光明。四卷福音書至少記載了6個醫治瞎子的神蹟；但只有這裡清楚指出那人是天生瞎眼的。 門徒看見瞎子，只想到神學問題；但基督卻看見瞎子的需要。門徒有的是好奇心；基督有的是憐憫心。我們不知道耶穌為何用泥抹在那人的眼睛上；也許基督看那人信心弱小，需要用實質性的東西來支持。當那人相信基督的話，照著去行，神蹟就出現了。基督並非每次都用同一方法治病。同樣地，祂今天也不會局限於只用一種方法來處理我們各人的需要。 那人不用為自己天生瞎眼負責任；然而，他卻要為自己相信或拒絕基督的話負責。當他聽從基督的話，神蹟便即時發生，他便得到永久的醫治。他在第25節的見證是那麼簡單和直截了當：「有一件事我知道：從前我是眼瞎的，如今能看見了。」許多信徒都能作這樣的見證。 當時的宗教領袖卻無論如何都不喜歡看見這神蹟，他們甚至把那人逐出會堂（34節）。但請看第35節。當耶穌得悉此事，便主動去尋找那人，直至尋見了，便堅固他初信的信心。這對我們如何幫助初信者有很大的啟發，許多時候，我們讓初信者自行掙扎，完全靠他們自己。 這個故事與下一章的9節是否有任何關連？基督在那裡作出另一個宣告：「我是門。」對那個被當時所謂的屬靈領袖趕出會堂門外的人來說，基督這個宣告是否給他的答案呢？在你的腦海中，會否出現一幅圖畫：基督用手環繞那人的肩膀，鼓勵他說：「他們雖然把你趕出會堂，但你不用在意。我是門，信靠我。」是的，罪孽深重的人需要一位偉大的救主，讚美神，最終的結果便是神蹟。 |
| In the previous chapter Christ had made a dramatic claim, "I am the light of the world." We could say that here in this chapter, He backed up that claim. He opened a man's eyes so he could see the light. There are at least six miracles of healing for the blind recorded in the Gospels. This is the only one where we are told the person was born blind. To the disciples, this man was only a theological question. To Christ he was a man in need. The disciples had curiosity. Christ had compassion. We are not told why Jesus made some mud and placed it over the man's eyes. Possibly Christ saw that the man's weak faith needed something to support it. The miracle came as the man believed Christ and obeyed His words. Christ did not act in this way every time. He is not limited to always using the same means in His dealings with us even now. This man was not responsible for being born blind but he was responsible for accepting or rejecting the word of Christ. When he obeyed, the miracle happened, quickly and permanently. His testimony in verse 25 is so simple and straightforward, "I know this, once I was blind, now I can see." Many believers have been able to say exactly the same thing. The Establishment of the day did not like this incident in any way and even put the man out of the synagogue (v.34). But look at verse 35. When Jesus heard what had happened, He searched till He found the man and helped him in his new-found faith. What a lesson for us in helping new converts. Too often we let them struggle along on their own. Is there a connection between this story and verse 9 of the next chapter? Christ made another great claim, "I am the door." Was this an answer to the treatment given the once blind man by the so-called spiritual leaders of that day? Can you see in your imagination Christ is standing with His arm around this man, saying in effect, "Don't be concerned if they have thrown you out. I am the door. Trust me." It could be so. Great sinners need a great Saviour and the result, praise God, is always a great miracle. |
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