Reflection by Nat Evans
Today we are reflecting on the story of Jesus healing the man-born-blind in John 9. Here’s how the story begins:
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Confession time: I love watching the musical The Sound of Music with my daughter. Actually, let me correct that statement. I love watching The Sound of Music.
In the musical there is a song called “Something Good.” Here are the lyrics from the chorus:
“Nothing comes from nothing,
Nothing ever could.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good.”
The song is about someone who is so overwhelmed by the experience of being in love that they assume it must be the reward for something good they did in the past, even if they can’t remember what that good thing was.
It reflects a common way of thinking about the world. As though there is some sort of cosmic force constantly balancing everything out. If you are experiencing something good, it must be because you did something good to earn it. And if you are experiencing something bad, well… you must have done something to deserve it.
Not only is that the assumption behind the song, it’s also the assumption behind the disciples’ question.
“This man was born blind,” they essentially ask. “Someone must have done something wrong to make him the way he is, either him or his parents. So who messed up?”
But Jesus’ response challenges that assumption.
Instead of saying that God causes bad things to happen to people who have done bad things, Jesus says:
“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
In other words, God is not a cosmic accountant constantly balancing the scales of good and bad in people’s lives. God is the one who reaches into a world marred by sin and evil and suffering, and brings healing. God is the one who restores. And Jesus is about to show them what this God is truly like.
Then, to demonstrate it, Jesus heals the man.
A man who has never seen, who has no real concept of what sight is even like, suddenly can see. And in many ways, he sees far more clearly who Jesus is than anyone else in the story. His response to this healing is simple: he places his faith in Jesus.
Not in the assumption that healing must be earned, that it is the result of his own achievements – but in the grace of simply receiving it.
Because the man who was born blind sees something that the people who have had sight their entire lives fail to see: that in Jesus we are shown what God is truly like. And in Jesus we discover the only true source of healing.
And perhaps that is the invitation for us in this story as well: not to try to earn God’s grace or explain away suffering, but simply to come to Jesus with open hands and to trust that in him we will see God clearly, and find the healing our souls most deeply need.
In the story, the disciples assume that the man’s blindness must be the result of someone’s sin. When you encounter suffering, either in your own life or in someone else’s, what assumptions do you find yourself making about why it is happening?
The man who was healed did not earn his healing, he simply received it and responded with faith in Jesus. What might it look like in your life right now to receive God’s grace rather than trying to earn it?
Jesus reveals what God is truly like and is the source of true healing. Where in your life today do you most need to come to Jesus with “open hands” and trust him for healing or restoration?
If you are fasting today, take a moment to sit quietly and become aware of the physical sensations of hunger.
What does it feel like?
Where does your attention drift?
What other desires begin to surface in your heart as you sit with that hunger?
As you reflect, bring before God the names of people in your life whose eyes you long to see opened to Jesus, perhaps they have not yet surrendered their lives in faith, or maybe they believe lies about him that keep them from following him fully. Take time to pray for them. Ask God to open their eyes, that they may come to him with open hands and hearts ready to receive his grace.
Reflection by Nat Evans
Today we are taking time to reflect on Jesus’ miraculous healing of the Gentile woman’s daughter in the Gospel of Mark 7:24–30.
And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
This is a story that can often make modern Christian readers uncomfortable. The way Jesus seems to prioritize one group of people over another, appearing at first to refuse healing to a child because of her background, can feel very out of character for Jesus. And honestly, it’s understandable to feel that tension.
When we read this passage alongside the other Gospels, it becomes clear that Jesus heals many Gentiles without any hesitation. So something deeper must be happening here.
It’s important to pay attention to the interaction itself. Jesus’ response is not meant to drive the woman away, but rather to draw her further into conversation. As is often the case, Jesus seems less interested in people giving the “right” answers and more interested in drawing out what is truly in each person’s heart.
And what is revealed in this conversation is that this woman has remarkable faith. Her faith is seen not only in her belief that Jesus can heal, but also in her understanding of who Jesus came to heal. She believes that God’s healing and freedom are meant for everyone, not just a select few.
This woman is a powerful example of courageous persistence, not because she refuses to take “no” for an answer, but because her faith is so aligned with God’s heart that she knows God’s answer will not be “no.” She sees clearly who Jesus is, and she trusts that God’s love is abundant enough for everyone who comes to him in faith.
Often we experience circumstances that seem to suggest God doesn’t care about us. Yet in this story we see how God can use difficult moments to draw us into a deeper relationship with him. What circumstances in your life might God be using to draw you closer to him?
What truths about God’s grace and generosity might you need to take more seriously in your life right now?
If you had the persistent faith of this Gentile woman, how might your prayer life look different? What would a life of persistent prayer look like for you?
If you are fasting today, take a moment to sit quietly and become aware of the physical sensations of hunger.
What does it feel like?
Where does your attention drift?
What other desires begin to surface in your heart as you sit with that hunger?
As you reflect, bring before God the names of people in your life who long for healing—physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. Continue to seek God in faithful prayer on behalf of these people.
Reflection by Nat Evans
Today we reflect on three of Jesus’ miraculous healings in Matthew 8.
When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Jesus’ healings never fall into a neat or predictable formula. It is almost as if he is keeping his followers on their toes, constantly surprising them. Yet what is most shocking is not simply that he heals, but who he heals — and how deliberately he does it.
A leper, cast out of society because he was considered unclean — Jesus reaches out and touches him.
A Roman centurion, associated with pagan and oppressive Rome, comes to Jesus in faith on behalf of his servant. Jesus simply speaks a word, and the servant is healed.
A woman — the mother-in-law of a friend — lies sick and unable to care for herself. Jesus takes her hand, and she is restored.
The people of Israel had long been waiting for the one Isaiah had prophesied — the Messiah who would set the people free, mark the end of exile, and bring healing and restoration. But no one expected a Messiah like this.
A Messiah who reaches out first — intentionally touching the untouchable.
A Messiah who engages an enemy in conversation, honors his faith, and heals his servant.
A Messiah who enters the home of a sick woman without hesitation and restores her with a touch.Jesus defies the barriers that separate clean from unclean, insider from outsider, powerful from powerless. In him, the kingdom of heaven breaks through those dividing lines — and invites us to do the same.
Are there people you have unconsciously labeled as outsiders? How might Jesus’ actions challenge you
Are there any boundaries you have placed on God’s healing power — or on who you believe he cares about
Where in your life do you need Jesus to “reach out and touch” what feels untouchable
What would it look like for you to trust Jesus’ authority the way the centurion did?
If you are fasting today, take a moment to sit quietly and become aware of the physical sensations of hunger.
What does it feel like?
Where does your attention drift?
As you reflect, bring before God the names of people in your life who long for healing — physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. Ask Jesus, the one who crosses boundaries and draws near, to move in ways that may surprise you — and stretch you.
Reflection by Nat Evans
Today marks the second day of the season of Lent. Lent is the forty days leading up to Easter. It is a season when followers of Jesus lay down routine pleasures or distractions in order to focus our hearts and minds on seeking God, and experiencing his freedom.
During Lent we turn our attention to Jesus’ journey to the cross. As we do, we ask a difficult but important question: What in my life needs to die so that I may follow Jesus more closely?
This year we are inviting the Forestview community to practice fasting together every Thursday. Fasting may look different for each person. Some may choose to fast for a full 24 hours. Others may fast from one meal. The point is not that we all do the same thing, but that we seek God together.
In Matthew 4:1–11 we read about Jesus fasting for forty days in the wilderness in preparation for the beginning of his earthly ministry.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
I have often assumed this story describes a moment when the devil targeted Jesus at his weakest point—after forty days without food. Yet the picture we encounter is not of a fragile or defeated Jesus. Instead, we see Jesus in a state of remarkable strength and clarity.
Yes, Jesus is physically hungry. But in his hunger he has grown more deeply aware of his dependence on his Father. His fasting has not weakened him spiritually — instead it has made him stronger. He knows that his Father’s love and mission are what truly sustain him.
Jesus may be physically frail, but he is spiritually strong. His hunger has clarified what truly satisfies.
If you are fasting today, take a moment to sit quietly and become aware of the physical sensations of hunger.
What does it feel like?
Where does your attention drift?
As you notice your hunger, ask God to deepen your desire for his kingdom. You might pray:
“Dear Lord, as hungry as I am right now, make me even more hungry for your kingdom.”
Consider praying not only for yourself, but for other Christians in your life, or maybe simply the Forestview community as a whole — pray that together we would all hunger for God above all else.