Guest Writer: Jayci Odermann

Love Like Jesus

John 8:58-John 9:7
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

We live in a fast-paced world. We rush from one thing to the next, hardly stopping to take a breath. When we have a full day ahead, we neglect our Bible, thinking that we don’t have time to sit and read. But in reality, we make time for what’s important to us.

In this passage, we see what was important to Jesus—people and the glory of God. If anyone was in a hurry, it should have been Jesus. Often times when we read John 9, we forget to look at the context of the passage. The Pharisees were about to stone Jesus for claiming to be the eternal God and somehow, he slips out. Along the way, probably right at the temple gates, he sees a man born blind and he stops. He stops! He takes the time for this man and to answer the disciples’ question, in a time when most of us would be running for our lives!

How many times do we see someone in need and rush past because we “don’t have time to deal with it?” How many opportunities do we miss to bring glory to God in the little moments of everyday life? If anyone had an excuse to skip out in this moment, it was Jesus. But he didn’t. Oh that we would be more like Him! That we would slow down and take time for the one. I heard it said recently that Jesus did ministry at a pace of 2mph because he walked everywhere he went. How much have I missed and how many people have I passed by in my 70-mph world? I’m not saying we need to start walking everywhere, but I do see a need for us to slow down and love those around us.

How do we love them? I see three specific ways that we can learn to love them like Jesus from this passage. As already mentioned, we need to first slow down and see. If we want to love like Jesus, we mustn’t be in a rush. Our focus should be on what is eternal—God’s Word and the souls of people— rather than on what is temporary. We must open our eyes and our hearts because we have a tendency to be blind to the people around us. I challenge you, as I’m challenging myself, to start each day with a prayer of surrender. Surrender yourself, your day, your schedule, your all to Christ. Be willing to be inconvenienced. Be willing to yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading, no matter the time, no matter the cost.

Secondly, if we want to love like Jesus, we must understand that God can use anyone and any circumstance for His glory. We see here in this passage that the disciples thought this man’s blindness was a direct result of sin.

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
But Jesus’ response is:
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Can you imagine the burden that must have lifted off of this blind man’s shoulders if he was listening to this? Perhaps all his life he wondered why he was born this way. How reassuring it must have been to know his suffering wasn’t for nothing, that God saw him, and He had a plan for him. A plan to heal him and show the whole world the goodness of God and an amazing illustration of the gospel! For, just like the blind man, we too are born spiritually blind, unable to heal ourselves, and beggars in need of a Savior. Here in this passage, Jesus sacrificed his time in a moment where His life was being threatened. But later on, Jesus sacrificed His life so we could have eternal life, eternal time with Him.

Finally, if you have a desire to love like Jesus, don’t waste time—the Gospel is urgent!

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

We don’t know how much time God has given us on this earth. Are we living as if today were our last? How our world would be different if every Christian lived like that! Time is short, eternity is long, we must live like it. Jesus says in this passage that He is the light of the world, but in Matthew 5 he also states that we are the light of the world. As believers in Christ, we have The Light! It’s time we share it, or rather Him. It’s time we tell of how we once were blind, but now we see!

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Jayci Odermann grew up in Niobrara County, Wyoming but now lives in the small town of Winnett, Montana. She is a pastor’s wife, mom of two children, and lover of Bible study. Jayci graduated from Frontier School of the Bible in 2017 with an emphasis in youth and women’s ministries. She spends most of her time taking care of their little ones, but still enjoys being able to teach for their church’s Kid’s Club, Youth Group, and women’s Bible studies.