Every reader of the Bible will see at a glance that this picture is intended as a representation of the incident recorded in the 9th chapter of John.
The story is quickly told. Jesus passed by, and saw a man who was blind from his birth, and, after saying, "I am the light of the world." (John 8:12) "He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." (John 9:6-7)
The cut represents the washing in the pool, and also the young man before the neighbors and the Pharisees, to whom he recounted the story of his cure, in these simple words: "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and I went and washed, and I received sight." (John 9:11)
There is scarcely any limit to the number of lessons to be learned from this incident, with all the conversation that grew out of it; but that which specially presents itself to us at this time is the fact that the Word of the Lord is living water, and that it has healing and cleansing power. Would that this lesson might be indelibly impressed on the mind and heart of every reader!
In the first place we must know that water comes from God's Word,--the Word itself is water. "The Lord is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King. ... When He utters His voice there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth." (Jeremiah 10:10,13)
Since He is the living God, from Him comes the living water. He is "the Fountain of living waters." (Jeremiah 2:13)
His word is a living word, yea, it is life itself, "the Word of life." (1 John 1:1) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1,4)
Life is light, so that the Word of life is the Word of light. This was demonstrated in the case of the blind man; for when he obeyed the Word of the Lord, he saw. "The entrance of your words gives light." (Psalm 119:130)
By the entrance of the Word of the Lord is meant acceptance of that Word and yielding to it; for since the Word is life, its entrance must impart its own life to the receiver. If the young man had objected that he couldn't see how going and washing would do him any good, he would never have seen. Of course he couldn't see, for he was blind; but when he yielded to the Word, he saw light in it.
Even so it is folly for anyone to refuse to obey the Word of the Lord, because he cannot see it. Sight comes with acceptance of it. We do not need to see in order to accept the Word, but we need to accept the Word in order to see.
The visible water in which the young man washed was simply a representation of the invisible water of life--the Word. Another instance of this is found in the case of Naaman. When he came to Elisha, the prophet sent word to him, saying: "Go wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean." (2 Kings 5:10)
Naaman was angry at first, but his wrath was appeased by his servants, who said, "My father, if the prophet had bid you do some great thing, would you not have done it? how much rather, then, when he says to you, Wash, and be clean?" (2 Kings 5:13)
This gentle entreaty and sound sense had its effect, and Naaman washed and was cleansed from his leprosy. Was the water of Jordan really better than the water of the rivers of Damascus? Not a particle; but Elisha spoke the word of the Lord, "Wash, and be clean," and the acceptance of that word brought cleansing, even as it brought sight to the blind man.
But the case is not yet complete. We must see that the Word of the Lord is indeed the water of life, with power in itself to cleanse and give sight, without any visible agent. So we take the case of another leper. One came to Jesus, full of leprosy, and said,
"Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will, Be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matthew 8:2-3)
The same thing was accomplished in this case as in the case of Naaman, and by the same means, viz., the Word of the Lord. Both are recorded in order that we might know of a surety that the Word of God is water, and has cleansing power.
What is the value of this lesson for us? Is it purely theoretical? Far from it. "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)
We are full of the leprosy of sin. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." (Isaiah 1:5-6)
Now to all who are in that deplorable condition, the Lord says, "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well." (Isaiah 1:16)
And then follows the assurance that, as the result of this washing, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Take notice that the very same thing is here said to the sinner that was said to Naaman the leper: "Wash, and be clean." It is the same Word that was spoken to the leper who came to Christ. Jesus said, "Be clean." Here was a definite command, "Be clean," to each of these lepers, yet neither one of them understood it to mean that he was to make himself clean.
When the command, "Be clean" was accepted, the cleansing came. The words, "Be clean," carried cleansing with them. Even so it is when the Lord says to wretched sinners, "Wash you; make you clean." The acceptance of the commandment brings the cleansing, showing us that "His commandment is life everlasting." (John 12:50)
Everyone of the ten commandments is a promise of the righteousness which God will give us if we accept it. "[Christ] loved the church, and gave himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word." (Ephesians 5:25-26)
Literally, "That He might sanctify and cleanse it by a water-bath in the Word."
To those who receive His Word, He says, "Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3)
Oh, then let us receive the Word with gladness! How much better it is to be clean than to be filthy! How much better clean garments feel than filthy garments. Why should anyone be unclean and blind also, when he can find cleansing and sight in the Word which the Lord has spoken?
Surely everyone who loves cleanliness, and finds pleasure in the light of the sun, should make haste to accept the word of the Lord, omitting not one jot.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in You to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
--Charlotte Elliott, Hymn: Just as I Am, 1835.
--Present Truth, September 8, 1898.