Poem The man born blind
I am reading Stephen Hill's book " John " which goes through the gospel with insightful revelation ..
Can be found on amazon
I recommend this book and am using it as a daily read
I also recommend his Blog https://www.ancient-future.com
On coming across the passage about the man born blind ( in John Chapter 9 ) I felt as if I entered into the encounter between Jesus and this man , as a very beautiful and private time ... where Jesus steps out of the clamour of the happenings around , and into his space ... I love it that Jesus seeks the healed man out after he has been ejected by the religious , who cannot enter into the joy of his new found sight ...
So many miss the beautiful moments of these encounters
The eyes - open man worships and honours Jesus
A man born blind
Hears a commotion
Feels motion before him
He stands before the Light
That shines with blinding brightness
He senses the man’s breathing
His heavy overshadowing
Attunes his ear to listen
Like blackbird on the glistening grass
Searching for his food
A rustle of a tunic as He bends
Spitting on the earth
A mixing of a paste within his hands
Once more he feels Him standing close
Coccooned from crowds around him
Hears his breathing
Feels his Spirit surrounding
He has not felt or heard like this before
Or been thus enlightened
But being without sight
His other senses are most heightened
And then a shadow passes across his eyes
As mud paste is applied
Earth and heaven combining
In a wond'rous intertwining
A miraculous anointing
And then He speaks
Not to the crowds that he can sense around
But privately, intimately, where he could feel his warm and gentle breath
“Go… wash… in the pool of Siloam”
This he did straightway
And returned seeing
(Not a line to throw away !)
Cataclysmic miracle with huge meaning
He now searches for the One who did the healing
But He’s not there, or so it seems
He does not know what people look like
Even though now he sees
And is learning gradually by degrees
His only focus is to find the man of God
Instead he hits the brick wall of religion
And faces question after question
Who was the Man ?
And who are you ?
What did He say?
What did He do ?
Where is He now ?
This imposter
Where did He go ?
You think He’s a prophet
How do you know ?
He broke our rules
So you’re complicit
You think you’re cleverer than us ?
That’s it, is it ?
Give glory to God man
Tell the truth
This man is a sinner
And we have proof !
No – one of God
Would heal on our Holy Day
What can you say ?
Be off with you
Get on your way !
And with that they threw him out …. of the synagogue
They- the ones who should rejoice with him
Do nothing but blabber on about sin
They, who claim to know and be upholders of the truth
The self-proclaimed representatives of God on earth
Who could have danced for joy with a man healed of blindness from birth
They have shown themselves more blind than he
And in that moment we are told
As he stands there alone
Jesus comes to find him
Wonderfully , gloriously, joyfully
He now could see the form
That just before
He only envisaged in his mind's eye
As Jesus before him
He sensed it was the Healer
The same peace, the same presence
hAs He came nearer..
The aura that He carried
The same atmosphere
And then He spoke
The voice that calmed the sea and raised the dead
The sound of many waters
The still small voice
“ Do you believe in the Son of Man “ said He
“And who is He, kind Sir , that I might believe?”
And Jesus said “That would be me “
The man fell down to worship Him ....
“ Lord , I believe “
And so do I
Can you ?
Can you see through to who He really is ?
Son of Man , Son of Son God
Jesus
John nuttall May 2018