There are actions (good and bad) that people do that grab our attention sometimes. They speak more than words sometimes and do far more to move us away from evil or toward righteousness. Seeing examples of living out the faith is good for us and that’s one reason the Lord designed the church. It is intended to be the visible body of Christ.
This morning, I noticed a response of Jesus that grabbed my attention. In the story about the man born blind in John 9, Jesus hears about the healed blind man being put out of the synagogue. However he found out, Jesus responds to this information.
He goes and finds him and gives him something. I think in part he goes to find him because even with limited knowledge (limited sight) he understood some things about God that even the learned men did not seem to know. But he not only knows these things but says these things to the spiritually blind. He knew the risk of being put out of the synagogue but he spoke the truth in love anyway.
But Jesus going after him when he was all alone stirred my heart to love of God even more. It makes me want to live like that. It makes me want to speak up even when I know it may cost me dearly. And in doing so, if I find myself alone and hurting when I did everything right, Jesus comes near.
He’s not in the crowded synagogue but on a backstreet somewhere talking to this lonely man who stood up for him at great risk. Even his own parents did not have faith to speak up for Jesus but rather threw their son out on his own.
One of the great but simple truths of Scripture is the fact that God is with us. Indeed, Immanuel has come and he cares for us deeply. He doesn’t take the evil and pain away yet, but he strengthens us for the journey to the day when it will be made right. All of it!
What did Jesus give the lonely man? What does he need most? Jesus gave the man Jesus! He is his greatest need. And Jesus gave the best gift he could have ever received.
The Word Is Not Imprisoned 
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