"A businessman was in a great deal of trouble. His business was failing, he had put everything he had into the business, he owed everybody - it was so bad he was even contemplating suicide. As a last resort he went to a priest and poured out his story of tears and woe. When he had finished, the priest said, 'Here's what I want you to do: Put a beach chair and your Bible in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the beach chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit down in the beach chair, and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible, the wind will rifle the pages, but finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you see. That will be your answer, that will tel you what to do'.
A year later the businessman went back to the priest and brought his wife and children with him. The man was in a new custom-tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat, the children shining. The businessman pulled an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket, gave it to the priest as a donation in thanks for his advice. The priest recognised the benefactor and was curious.
"You did as I suggested?" he asked.
"Absolutely", replied the businessman.
"You went to the beach?"
"Absolutely"
"You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"
"Absolutely"
"You let the pages rifle until they stopped?"
"Absolutely"
"And what were the first words you saw?"
"Chapter 2"
- Anonymous
There was a man in Jerusalem who was born blind, beginning alms, supposedly sitting by the gates of the temple, a perfect place where beggars might elicit feelings of compassion from those who passed by (John 9:1,8). It would have been difficult for anyone seeing this man to suppose that his life had a purpose far beyond the temple gates, a purpose that would be a witness of Christ's proclamation that He is the light of the world, "the light which shineth, which giveth you light" (D&C 88:11), "a light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not" (D&C 34:2). Much like the modern day businessman who considered his life was over, many in his day would have considered the blind man's life over when it had begun but they would have been mistaken for there was in God's plan a 'Chapter 2' for this man also. And this 'Chapter 2' came in the form of Jesus of Galilee.
When Jesus and his disciples passed by on a certain Sabbath and saw the blind man, His disciples questioned Him regarding this man's fate. They were eager to know why he was born into the world of darkness, unable to sustain himself and dependent on the pity of others all the days of his life. Because of Jewish belief that accidents and calamities came as punishment for sin (Bruce R. McConkie,
The Mortal Messiah Book 3, page 199) they asked the Master 'who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?' (John 9:2). Jesus' reply was that this man was born blind for a special purpose, that he may stand forever as a witness that Jesus was the Son of God (John 9:3). As a prelude to healing the man's blindness he proclaimed: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). He then spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man (John 9:6) admonishing him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam which the man did and when he came back, he 'came seeing' (John 9:7).
One can only imagine the joy with which this man came back. His healing, however, stirred the hornet's nest and changed his life forever in more ways than one for Jesus chose to heal this man on Sabbath day, a burdensome day for the Jews, 'a day on which Rabbinism goes wild in enforcing petty, Satan-inspired restrictions that defy all sense and reason, restrictions that serve no purpose except to stand as a witness of the dire apostasy then prevailing among a once-chosen and once-enlightened people' (Bruce R. McConkie,
Mortal Messiah Book 3, p. 198). By healing the blind man, the Saviour deliberately violated the Rabbinical laws of the Sabbath for on that day it was forbidden to: 1. make clay, 2. apply a healing remedy to an impaired or sick person and 3. 'there was a specific prohibition against the application of saliva to the eyes on the Sabbath. This strange restriction came into being because of a common belief that saliva was a remedy for diseases of the eye' (Bruce R. McConkie,
Mortal Messiah Book 3, p. 201).
Beside Jesus' attempt to open the eyes of the Jewish leaders so they can see that in Him is the correct law, it was His intention to put people in the position of choosing between Him as the Son of God and the Sabbath traditions of the elders which kept people in blindness and pernicious superstition. In effect, He was saying 'Choose you this day whom ye will serve' (Joshua 24:15). It would seem the blind man who came to see had ample opportunity to make this choice for he was called upon by the elders three times to account for his experience (John 9). When his testimony of Christ persisted, he faced the fate worse than death for the Jewish leaders had proclaimed that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue (John 9:22). In a religious society where excommunication from the synagogue climaxed in hate and vengeance, this would have been a very difficult choice to make. The man, however, could not deny the healing power he experienced and was cast out. When Jesus heard of it, he sought the man out and asked him if he believed in the Son of God to which the man replied: "Lord I believe" (John 9:38). And so for this man began Chapter 2. Not only because he came to see physically, but spiritually also. Having received of the greater light, he could now see the path to his salvation.
Which is the greater, spiritual or physical sight? In a world that seeks to tear us apart and keep us bound with traditions of darkness, we very often stumble and create situations from which we cannot see a way out. And often we are victims of circumstance and we suffer things beyond our control. Sometimes our suffering and our finite vision brings us to the point where we think that our life is no longer worth living and we contemplate the unthinkable but God is there with a contingency plan shining a lantern at our feet so we can see 'Chapter 2'. And once we are willing to trust in that contingency plan, we are empowered to turn things around, to value this mortal experience. Why? Because it leads to eternal life where all that we suffer in this life will be added to our glory. For there, where once we were blind, we shall 'see' and we will worship at His feet praising His goodness and mercy and declaring that He truly is 'the light of the world', a light which disperses all darkness and invites all men to come unto Him.
" Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12)
