Did You Know? (The blind man could see.)

All he had ever known was darkness. 

He had never seen his mother's face as she cooed at him in her arms.

He had never seen his father's smile as he taught him how to fish.

He had never seen a frog leaping into the pond.

He had never seen the flames of a campfire.

He had never seen the animals whose soft fur he touched.

He had never seen the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds.

He had never seen the tunic he wore.

He had never seen the face of the sweet feminine laugh he had heard at the home of his friend.

He had never seen a tool that shaped wooden furniture.

He had never seen a piece of bread or a glass of wine.

He had never seen anything.

All he had ever known was darkness.

"Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?"

He was blind.

Had been since the day he was born.

He had heard the kids teasing.

He had heard the adults whispering.

He had heard the assumptions made.

He had heard the accusations hidden in the assumptions.

What was the horrible, sinful thing that he or his parents had done to cause him to be born blind?
Must have been something like no one else had ever done.

What a sinner!
What a shame!

Whisper, snicker, snub.

He was blind.

"Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?"

And then it happened.

He felt someone touch his face. 
He startled back. 

A gentle touch stilled him.

And then he felt something cool and wet cover his eyes.

His initial response was to swat at the intrusion on his body.

But something quieted his soul. 
Mud was smoothed over his eyes, they told him. 
Mud! Mud from saliva and the ground he stood upon!

Who would have thought of that? 
What was going on?
But it happened.

"Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?"

A loving voice spoke.

"Go and wash ..."
Mud made from saliva and rubbed onto his eyes was strange enough. Why stop there? If the gentle man was telling him to go wash it off in the pool of Siloam, why not?

And he did. 

And when he came back, he was stunned, and smiling ... he could see!

In his darkness, he had felt the touch of healing, he had heard the voice of love speak.

"Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?"

He didn't know much about Jesus.

But he did know this one thing.

He was blind.

And then he could see. 

And he knew that the only way he could have come up out of his darkness was through the power of God. 

He was blind.

Then he could see.

He received. 

He believed.

He worshipped.

Did you know?
Did you know that Jesus can meet you in your darkness?
Did you know that Jesus can clear your vision, your view?

Did you know that Jesus shines light that sweeps over and through darkness?

Did you know that the sweet babe of Christmas would do the same for you?

Did you know?

(Jesus healing a blind man is found in John 9.)

("Mary, did you know?" ~ a Christmas song written by Mark Lowry.)