The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-09
THE BOOK OF JOHN.
CHAPTER NINE.

BY John Wanamaker. Philadelphia.
(This is the ninth in the series of in
teresting articles written at the request
of Rev. Robert Gordon of the First
Baptist church Read John nine today.)
Light and Sight.
And as Jesus passed by" He is al
ways coming our way He comes with
the new morning and the fresh dew Of
the evening He walks along our path
because He knows where we are and
what our need is.
Christ saw the blind man, the blind
man could not see Him. The man of
sin is blind-he never sees Jesus. Help
less, blind, begging-the little company
must have halted for the Disciples are
ready with the entrapping question,
place the responsibility of this blindness
WHO hath sinned. this man or his
parents ?" The whole great answer
is crowded into a few simple words
get the impact of it-"That the Works
of God should be manifest in him"
God assumes authority, dominion,
power, and Christ means that the wider
sweep of His power should here have a
manifestation, and He Immediately
links the Disciples with Himself for all
the great manuscripts use the word
"we'' instead of 'I''
I'VE must work the works of Him
that sent Me-" Paul caught the power
of this speech when he said-'fWe are
workers together with God" A miracle
surprises, holds the attention, every
body remembers the healing of this
blind man, but how soon we forget the
power of an idea-"co-workers with
Cod
Light breaks. The Christ torch illum-
ines every darkened night of sin. There
had been physical night to this blind
man; the night comes when no man
can work-night here equals lost oppor-
tu1ity. If We are in the way when
Jesus is passing by We are in the path
Of opened eyes.
The light to work by and live by.
Born blind" There are as many as
six cases of blindness mentioned in the
New Testament. Some one might say
that they were all durable, but here is
a cases where the Christ power is test
ed His power meets the test. He was
cured of his blindness, with Christ
there is no incurable blindness.
In this chapter, sin is called blind
ness-'The Blood of Jesus Christ, His
Son, cleanseth from all SIM"
How prone we are to controversy,
neighbors can not even agree. miracles
even do not touch some hearts. A hot
contention about great fact ensues.
Some said, This is he;" others said,
HE is like him.
Then a cross-fire of sharp querulous
questions came from the bystanders.
The blind man answered as only
healed man could answer, "I am he"
He became a good witness concern
He said. 81 know not" zone thing
I know, that whereas I was blind, now
1 see.'' Every redeemed man has re-
ceived the miracle of recovered sight.
The simple and earnest utterance of
his testimony will put to rout all inf
deity.
And it was the Sabbath day, when
Jesus made clay, and opened his eyes"
The Sabbath is a great day. Christ
sanctified the Sabbath by making out
of it an opportunity-for the blind
man He made a double Sabbath. 1t all
depends on how we esteem the Sab
time is an empty shell not made sacred
by some healing touch. The blind, the
sick, the lame, the hungry, the poor
are all within the reach of the Sabbath.
Make the Sabbath a church, and the
church will reach the bounds of the
earth.
Jews-neighbors - Pharisees-par-
ents-appeals to the law of Moses
revilings-blindness- the
hours of controversy until it is written,
"And they cast him out" Of course
they did. The appeal to doctrine al
ways does that. In this case. as in all
against light and beneficence, and
beneficence and light always win the
day-for Jesus heard that they had
cast him out; and when He had found
him'-that is the way of the Master,
when He gives a man sight, He cares
for him in the midst of his enemies.
The purpose of the miracle of open
ing eyes was to open soul-eyes.
To cure the blindness of sin is to
give purity and the pure in heart
shall see Cod