"Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." -John 2:6-11
"One of his disciples,Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” -John 6:8-14
"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." -John 9:6-7
Have you noticed how natural the supernatural miracles of Christ look? Think about it: Changing water into wine? Feeding more than five thousand people with some bread and fish? Rubbing a guy's eyes with mud and telling him to take a bath? Why does Jesus sound like some backwoods, spiritual huckster? How about some fancy stuff, Jesus? Some spiritual stuff?
Because materialistic philosophy dominates our culture, we have a tendency to separate the material/immaterial, spiritual/physical, natural/supernatural in a way that the Scriptures never do. So I read about Jesus covering a blind man's eyes in mud and telling the man to go wash in some water. I read that the blind man comes back seeing and my mind immediately jumps to the conclusion that something happened in between, something more spiritual than mud and water. The Bible never says anything like that happened. The Holy Spirit works on this man to heal his blindness, of eyes and heart (the man worships Jesus at the end of the chapter). The Holy Spirit does all of this by working through some mud and water.
Refusal: I refuse to see my world through blind, materialistic eyes. I will not see anything as being "just matter", as if there was no God. I refuse to believe the lie that God only works in the gooey core of my heart or in extravagant, external displays of power.
Resolution: I resolve that I will view all things; the dirt that I tread upon, the water I wash in, the food that I eat, and the people I meet, as being intimately connected to the supernatural. The God who is spirit took on flesh and gave sight to the blind using mud and water.
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