John 9:1-3 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
The ninth chapter of the Gospel of John is a protracted lesson in accountability.
So, how many of you know that one, special individual who thinks of countless new ideas and then assigns others to complete the task? Usually, those thinkers are given titles like “facilitator” or “implementer,” which simply means they dream up the scheme but someone else must figure out a way of putting the plan into action. Sadly, if the plot was flawed in the beginning and the project goes awry, then there is the issue of assigning accountability. Most of the time the weight of guilt falls on the shoulders of those whose job it was to make the spurious idea work in the first place because the dreamer has already moved on to bigger and better projects.
President Harry S. Truman once said, “The buck stops here!” Oh, to live in a world whose mantra is, “I am the one who is accountable!”
As Jesus was leaving the Temple with his disciples (John, ch. 8), they passed a man who was blind from birth. Instantly, Christ’s followers demanded to know, “Who is accountable for this blindness, the man or his parents?” (John 9:2)
Jesus answered, “Some things happen simply to reveal God’s glory!” (vs 3)
Without a moment’s delay, Christ personally assumed responsibility for the man’s healing, “I must act while I have the opportunity. I must do the work of my Father who sent me. As long as I am in the world, I must be the light!” (vs. 4-5) So, what happened next? Did Jesus call a social worker, a government agency, a charitable foundation for the blind, or 911? No, He personally became accountable for what the man needed. Christ made some clay with spittle, applied the mud to the man’s blind eyes, and then told him to go wash. The man was healed. (vs 6-7)
End of story, right? Not even close!
As soon as the miracle was publicized, the religious authorities demanded to know who was responsible! In a world where everyone is trying to dodge the bullet for fear of breaking a bureaucratic code or regulation, it is refreshing to see someone step forward and say, “I’ll do whatever needs to be done… because I am accountable!” Jesus had enough trouble with the Pharisees and Sadducees. Thank God, He didn’t have OCSEA or the EPA!
Suddenly, a mad scramble occurred as the religious leaders started shaking people down to discover “Who performed the miracle?”
Knowing the wrath of the Pharisees, most of the witnesses didn’t want to be accountable for even identifying the man who was healed. Some said, “He might be the man.” Others said, “He looks like the man.” (vs 9)
After coming forward and saying, “I am he,” the healed man faced a relentless interrogation. Initially describing the details of the miracle, the recipient finally cut through the red tape by concluding, “I was blind. Now, I see!” (vs 25)
So, did that solve the problem? Not even close!
The Pharisees immediately required the man’s parents to come forward and give testimony. To which they answered, “Yes, this is our son. Yes, he was born blind.” However, for fear of the authorities, even Mom and Dad sidestepped accountability, “If you want to know how he was healed, ask him! He’s an adult!” (vs 21-22)
Around and around and around we go! Many were involved in this miracle, but very few were willing to be accountable. In spite of everyone else, we have failed to identify the greatest offenders of all, the Pharisees. This entire controversy was created by their lack of accountability to believe. They relentlessly avoided their responsibility of having faith in a miracle they could not refute or deny.
Does any of this sound familiar? If God has asked you to have faith in His Son, what has been your reaction? Have you done the “sidestep dance” of irresponsibility? Or have you proven your accountability by saying, “Yes!”
Edwin Woolsey’s family has lived in Shannon, Texas, and Howell counties since 1860. He taught 31 years at Missouri public schools and is currently the pastor of a small country congregation at Pilgrim Rest Community Church. Follow him on Twitter at @edwinwoolsey.