John 9:13–17

John 9:13-17 - Daily Devotion - 28 April 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. 15 So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.The man answered, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”16 Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?”And there was division among them. 17 So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?”“He is a prophet,” the man replied.REFLECTIONSWritten by Queenie FavelleIn today’s passage, we can see that once again the Pharisees have completely missed the point. The reason for the miracle of healing a man born blind is to point to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, fulfilling Scripture. Instead of seeing that, all they concentrate on is that Jesus healed on the Sabbath – that he “worked” on the Sabbath rather than resting. They were strict about keeping the law, and were quick to condemn others for minor failures, but they had forgotten the purpose of the law. The Sabbath was not just about doing nothing, the purpose of resting from ordinary work for one day in the week was so the people could worship and enjoy God together and remember the life he gives.It is easy for us to point the finger at others. But in the same way, it also draws me back to reflect on why I go to church. Sunday church for Christians is not exactly the same as the Sabbath law under the old covenant, but with both of them, it is all too easy to forget the purpose and turn it into a rule or a formality. For me, is church just a regular routine thing? Am I just going through the motions every Sunday, or do I actually see the purpose of resting from ordinary activities to gather to worship God together? Am I there to just warm the pew, or am I present to eagerly listen to God's word, to be challenged, reminded and encouraged to live God's way? This passage reminds me what a joyous blessing it is to be able to gather with God and his people on Sundays – that we can serve, love and grow together in worshipping and enjoying God together. Let us not take church for granted but cherish the time we have together in loving God and encouraging each other. ABOUT THE AUTHORQueenie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.