When Obedience Opens Our Eyes
A Day in the Life of Jesus
Scripture Reading: John 9:6–12
“Then he spat on the ground and made mud from the spittle and smoothed the mud over the blind man’s eyes, and told him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ So the man went where he was sent and washed and came back seeing!”
Walking Through the Story
I love this story from John 9 because it captures the essence of what it means to trust Jesus, even when the command seems unusual or even unreasonable. Imagine being blind from birth—your world is darkness, your life is lived at the mercy of others, and your future feels limited. Then one day a man named Jesus kneels in the dust, mixes spit with dirt, and places mud on your eyes. It’s not exactly the method anyone would expect for healing. Yet this man obeyed. He went to the Pool of Siloam, washed as Jesus instructed, and came back with his sight restored.
That’s how faith often works. It’s not about understanding every detail of what God is doing, but about trusting Him enough to take the step He asks of us. The Pool of Siloam itself carries meaning. Built by King Hezekiah’s workers to bring water safely into the city during times of siege (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30), it was a source of life and protection. The name Siloam means “sent.” Isn’t that fitting? The blind man was sent to a place called Sent, and in his obedience he found healing and new life.
When I picture this moment, I’m struck by how ordinary the act was—walking to a pool, washing one’s face. Yet in the hands of Jesus, ordinary obedience becomes the pathway to extraordinary transformation.
Faith Between Promise and Assurance
The article reminds us: “Faith is a step between promise and assurance.” That is exactly what the blind man experienced. Jesus promised healing, but the assurance did not come until he obeyed. We sometimes want the assurance first. We pray, “Lord, show me the outcome, then I’ll trust You.” But the Lord says, “Take the step, and then you will see.”
Think about the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. Elijah asked her to make bread from her last handful of flour. She could have said, “Show me the full jar first, then I’ll share.” But she obeyed, and the promise of provision became reality. The same pattern holds in our lives. We step into the unknown with trust, and God meets us with His faithfulness.
Commentator F. F. Bruce once wrote, “Faith is not blind credulity; it is obedience to the Word of Christ.” This blind man wasn’t acting on superstition or wishful thinking. He obeyed the Word spoken to him by Jesus, and his faith became sight—literally.
The Simplicity of Obedience
Miracles often seem beyond our reach, don’t they? We long for breakthrough, but the gap between promise and fulfillment feels wide. Yet almost every miracle in Scripture begins with a simple act of obedience. Naaman the Syrian dipped seven times in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:14). The disciples cast their nets on the other side of the boat (John 21:6). Mary told the servants at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).
In my own life, I’ve noticed how God often asks for small steps of obedience before revealing His larger plan. Years ago, I wrestled with whether to step into a ministry role that felt daunting. The outcome was unclear, and my fear was strong. But in prayer, I sensed the Lord urging me simply to say yes. That yes opened the door to opportunities, relationships, and growth that I could never have orchestrated myself. Like the blind man, I had to walk to my own Pool of Siloam and trust that Jesus knew what He was doing.
Obedience may look ordinary, but it is the soil where extraordinary fruit grows.
The Witness of Transformation
The aftermath of this healing is telling. The man’s neighbors could hardly believe their eyes. “Is this the same fellow—that beggar?” they asked. Some thought it was, some thought it wasn’t, until the man himself declared, “I am the same man!”
That’s the power of transformation: it makes people question what they thought they knew. When Christ changes us, those around us cannot help but notice. They may debate, doubt, or dismiss, but our testimony stands. Notice too that the man didn’t yet have all the answers. When asked where Jesus was, he replied, “I don’t know.” What he did know was simple: “A man they call Jesus made mud, told me to wash, and now I see.”
Sometimes we feel unqualified to share our faith because we don’t have every theological detail figured out. But the most compelling witness is often the simplest: “This is what Jesus did for me.” Your obedience and your transformation may be the very testimony someone else needs to hear.
Lessons for Our Discipleship
Faith requires trust before sight. Like the blind man, we are called to take steps before we see results. That’s where real discipleship takes shape.
Obedience is often ordinary. Washing mud from one’s eyes doesn’t seem miraculous—but in Christ, ordinary actions become vehicles of grace.
Transformation leads to witness. When our lives are renewed, others take notice, even if they struggle to believe it.
Jesus still calls us to these steps of faith today. He may not ask you to wash in Siloam, but He may ask you to forgive someone who hurt you, to give generously when finances are tight, or to step into a ministry where you feel inadequate. Each act of obedience opens space for His power to work.
As John Piper has said, “The miracle of sight to the blind man was a parable of the miracle of spiritual sight in all of us.” Our greatest transformation comes when Jesus opens our spiritual eyes to see Him as Lord.
As you go through this day, may you walk in the steps of faith that God sets before you. May you find the courage to obey even when you don’t understand, and may your obedience lead you into the joy of seeing God’s faithfulness unfold. May your life be a witness to the transforming power of Christ, drawing others to the light of His truth and love.
For further reflection on Jesus’ miracles and the life of faith, visit Crosswalk.com .
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