David said in Psalm 3:2-3 that many are saying there is no help for him in God, Selah; yet he knows that the glory of God is his shield, and only the Lord is the lifter of his head. Anywhere the word Selah is mentioned in the bible, it is a point to pause and think about the statement that was made before the word. Never rely on what people say. Only what God says matters. A similar thing happened to a man born blind from birth in John 9.
Jesus came into the world and went about doing a lot of good things. As he passed by, he saw a man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind (John 9:1-2). Earlier on in John 8:1-12, Jesus was teaching in the temple and the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman they caught in the act of adultery. They informed him that the Law of Moses requires that they stone her to death and asked Jesus what he has to say about that. Jesus asked whoever had no sin to cast the first stone. Convicted that they were also sinners, they left one by one till there was no accuser any more. Jesus told her since no one remained to condemn her, he would also not condemn her but asked her to go and sin no more. He went further to teach in the temple that he was the light of the world. Whoever shall follow him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life? Jesus answered his disciples that neither the man nor his parents had sinned (John 9:3). The blindness came on him because God wanted to reveal His works through him. Jesus mentioned here also that he is the light of the world.
How the man got his miracle was remarkable. Jesus spat on the ground and mixed the saliva with clay and anointed the eyes of the blind man. He then asked him to go and wash himself in the pool of Siloam. The man did that and began to see. From this we see that Jesus used different methods to heal different blind people. Some were commanded to regain their sight; others were instantly healed by touching while this man was anointed with mud mixed with saliva and asked to go and wash in a special pool. After the man was healed he came back to his community but the neighbours could not recognise him. Some said he has changed and others said he just looks like the blind man who sat and begged there. The man testified that it was he who was blind. Never depend on what people say you are. You are the best person to proclaim who you are and never think you are not capable of doing something. When you are chosen by God for that thing, His glory over you makes you capable to do it. The Pharisees asked who had healed him and he narrated how Jesus healed him. Be bold to testify the goodness of the Lord.
Under the Law of Moses, it was believed that afflictions come upon people as a result of sin. From the passage of the blind man from birth we learn that God allows such situations to reveal His works to us. Do not be quick to judge the condition of someone as due to sin.
