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By Mike Caton

John 9:7, “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Jesus now tells the man to go and wash the mud off of his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. This pool is only mentioned one other time in the entire Bible. And then it is just a passing reference, Nehemiah 3 tells us about Shallun, who repaired a section of the wall of Jerusalem and the wall at the Pool of Siloam, was part of his repair job. Pools, wells, springs and other water sources were an important part of life in those days. And you can imagine the need for clean water in a walled city such as Jerusalem. But there are no other references to this pool, no stories attached to it, no special powers it possessed, at least not in the Bible.

This blind man has a couple of options. He can sit there with mud on his eyes. He can simply wipe the mud off where he is. Or he can go to the pool and wash as Jesus has told him. As we will read further, it seems this man had no real knowledge of Jesus, he didn’t ask him for a miracle, he expected nothing from the Messiah. But he sure does learn a lot about him. Maybe he heard the conversation between Jesus and the disciples, about the works of God being displayed in him. And he really had nothing to lose by going to the pool. Although, it would be tough for a blind man to get around anywhere, maybe he got someone to lead him, or maybe he went to the pool often enough he knew the way. But the important part is he went and the bottom line is he could see!

How willing are we to simply obey Jesus? It might not seem like the easy thing to do, it might not be the cool thing to do, it might make us uncomfortable doing it. But we must remember, it is not about what is cool, or easy, or fun, it is about our commitment to the Lord. And make no mistake about it, when we obey the Lord, there will be blessings that follow. Maybe not in the way we expect, our physical ailments may not be cured, our financial situation may not reverse, our relationships may still have rough patches, but the truth is, we will be blessed by God in the ways God sees best. As Christians, we can enjoy peace, contentment and hope that the world knows nothing about.

Father, help me simply obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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