They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. John 9:13-14

If you’re read this phrase once you’ve read it a thousand times: “now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.” I shake my head and smile every time at this because you just know that Jesus did this on purpose or why else would the Gospel writer mention it? I’m speculating that one of the many reasons he did it was to get them thinking about their belief systems, namely what you could and should do on the Sabbath.

They never saw it that way, though. They would say that they were trying to defend the honor and dignity of God, but here was the Son of God in their midst healing and they missed the point entirely.

Lord, help us to see you in our midst even when it doesn’t look like we think you should be. Teach us to recognize substance over style when it comes to spiritual things.