Upheld at the Fountain Gate #6

Stream at Entrance to Adare Park, Ireland

 

Who Sinned?

I wonder why we are drawn to water?

Moving around the heel of the footprint, we come to the Fountain Gate. The Gihon Spring fed this water system and was an important source of water for the city. At this site, the waters gushed underground to the Water Gate. It undergirded the life of the city.

At the Pool of Siloam, by the flowing waters of the Fountain Gate, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man. (Story in the Gospel of John, Chapter Nine.)

One day, Jesus passed by a man who was blind from birth. His disciples, walking with Him that day, as always, asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus replied. I think He must have stopped walking to consider the blind man as He talked. “It is so the works of God should be revealed in him.”

At this point, Jesus stooped to spit on the ground and rub mud into the man’s eyes. Did the blind man object when he felt the pressure of Jesus’ touch on his eyes? A momentary pain before a huge revelation of the Glory of God in the life of this man.

“Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam,” Jesus instructed. How did the blind man know which way to go? Did someone lead him? Did he already know by counting steps from the position he’d started from? Was he conscious of others watching his every move? Did he even wonder how he’d found himself in such a position?

Sight

“I can see! I can see!” Imagine the shock of everyone as the man may have exclaimed after washing his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. I wonder how his sight came? All at once? In sparkles and speckles? Did the light hurt his eyes after the darkness?

I wonder what kind of inner healing happened for that man. He became a disciple of Jesus. Undergirding waters must have flowed through his being (as well as in his eyes) in the wonder of what God had done for him.

More of the story comes later when the man and his family underwent a grueling examination by the Pharisees – the ruling party of the Temple political system. But that’s another story. For now, we know a blind man received his sight through the waters by the glorious power of the Son of God, Jesus. 

Foundational

Water is foundational to the health of our bodies. I’ve heard that we can survive longer without food than water. We thirst to live. I don’t think anyone could disagree with this.

I like to sit beside rivers and waters. This is a good place to examine what is foundational in my life. Am I thirsting after knowledge of God? Here is a place where the waters run deep and I must dig to slake my thirst.

Jesus is our Living Water. He calls us to come to Him to receive healing and never thirst again. Refreshing, cool, lovely. And all we need to do is reach our roots right out to those waters. In the same way the blind man reached for water to cleanse his eyes and discovered sight.

For Consideration 

Are you thirsting for knowledge of God? Do you want to see Him? Have you asked Him to intervene for you? 

Let the Living Waters flow deep in your spirit and be filled daily. This is fresh, clean water through Jesus, the Living Water, and by the Holy Spirit, our Source for filling.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” John 7:38.