In John chapter 9, we learn about a guy who was blind. We don’t know how he felt and we don’t know how old he was, but he was a grownup. Had he spent days questioning his purpose? During this time, the opportunities for those with physical challenges were slim. People, even Jesus’ disciples, wondered what sin caused this. Did the man feel like he had done something to deserve this? Did he feel like he was given a punishment he didn’t deserve?

I won’t lie, there have been times I have questioned why I am here. I have questioned why my life matters, when I feel like the impact I am making on the world is so minimal and the gifts I have to offer it are so tiny. It seems I forget it’s not supposed to be about me. It should be about doing what I can to bring honor to Jesus.

For this guy, all his days led up to this moment. This moment when Jesus was walking by and taking notice.

It seems the guy didn’t even ask for anything, Jesus just went to him. He fashioned some mud out of spit and dirt and put it on the guy’s eyes, then told him to take a trip to the water and wash. The Bible doesn’t even say if Jesus told him any more than that. Was that all that needed to be said?

He went.

How he got there, we don’t know. Did he know the way? Was it close? Did he have people with him that could lead him there?

What we *do* know is that he went, he washed, and came home seeing. (v. 7)

At this point, the man didn’t even really know who Jesus was. He was asked a few verses later by his neighbors how it happened.  He summed it up – “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash.”

Then he gets to the outcome:

“So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

Then these guys take him over to the Pharisees to be interrogated. He had to wonder why. This great thing had just happened to him, and instead of everyone being so thrilled for him, they were grilling him on all the details to get the scoop on Jesus.

The Pharisees not only asked him, who told them the same thing they had told the others, they fetched his parents and interrogated them as well.  The parents kind of wimped out, afraid of the repercussions if they got involved. They basically said, “He is a big boy; ask him.”

So they questioned him again, “Tell us the truth – We  know this man (Jesus) is a sinner.”

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture comes next –

“He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:25

There are so many things in Scripture that I do not understand. One thing I try never to do is to give a pat answer to someone’s question about the Bible. We are people who are constantly growing and learning and I don’t believe for a second that anyone fully understands everything in Scripture. But I do think people sometimes try to come across as though they do, for fear of building up doubts in the minds of the people questioning. My favorite teachers are the ones who will say, “I don’t know.”

This guy’s answer? “I don’t know, but I’ll tell ya what I do know. I was blind and now I see.” Perfect.

Our testimony, our own stories of what Jesus has done for us, can go so much farther than a guess of something to satisfy someone’s question.

This is the Scripture my mind goes to when I begin to worry about if a verse means this or that – Where did Adam’s sons find wives? Is the earth only 6,000 years? Did the flood cover the whole earth?  I don’t have to know these answers. What I have to know is what Jesus has done for me. *That* I can tell you.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t study Scripture – It’s one of my favorite things to do. There are just some things we aren’t going to know for sure, and we can be okay with that until we do. But we must be okay with sharing our stories.

Take some time this week to really think about your story and what Jesus has done for you. You never know who might need to hear it.