"Let in the Light!"
Sermon Presented March 6, 2005
John 9:1-41
We all have theological questions to which we would like answers. Jesus' disciples are no different. They're uneasy, having just left the temple in Jerusalem under the threat of stoning. As they travel, they see a man who has been blind from birth. Their question: "Jesus, was it this man's sin or the sin of his parents that caused him to be born blind?" This seems like a ridiculous question to us. He was BORN blind - before he ever had an opportunity to sin.
But the question fits the belief of their culture: the belief that blindness is punishment for sin. They want an explanation that makes sense. They want to know about God and about life and about unexplained tragedy, and sometimes the only question to ask is "Why?" What they have been taught no longer satisfies them.
Our story is in response to their question. Hear this fast moving story recorded in the 9th chapter of John's Gospel, verses 1-41. (Read text.)
We want explanations for the unexplainable. "Why did this tragedy strike her? She's such a good person." "Why did these 10 people survive the crash and 235 others perish?" "How could loving parents have such a wicked son?" "Why was this child born with severe birth defects?" "What did I ever do to deserve this?" "Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or those of his parents?" When we dare to ask the questions, we begin the difficult work toward acceptance of the circumstances and abandonment of our ingrained pat answers.
I react negatively toward people who make insensitive judgments. "She must have asked for it or she wouldn't have been raped!" "They must not be very good parents or he wouldn't act like that!" "She must not be a very good wife or he wouldn't divorce her!" And yet if I'm honest, I do the same. Because life doesn't occur in a vacuum, we look for a rational explanation for what we can't understand and often the answer we come up with is a product of our culture and not something we have thought through.
This story begins because the disciples want to speculate about the causal relationship between sin and suffering. And it's possible that because of their question, they become eyewitnesses to the glory of God.
God's glory is evident here, but couldn't Jesus have accomplished the healing more hygienically? The thought of someone spitting into the dust, making a mud pie and then slapping it over a person's eyes sounds like the act of a medicine man. It's gross! In fact, Matthew and Luke leave out this aspect in their retelling - probably because the action was associated with magic in the Greco-Roman world. However, when he follows Jesus' instructions, he is miraculously healed.
Now instead of questions about why the man is blind, the questions concern his healing. People don't understand his blindness and they don't understand his healing. These cultural beliefs influence their reaction to the miracle. The first is that godly people don't work on the Sabbath. The second is that blindness is caused by sin. A third belief is that anyone who confesses Jesus as Messiah should be banned from the synagogue. The fourth belief is that God spoke through Moses but everyone else - especially Jesus - is suspect. And the fifth belief is that a teacher can't learn from someone believed to be beneath him in status, and the Pharisees are the ones with the doctorate degrees. These deeply held beliefs determine how the healing is viewed.
As far as we know, the blind man didn't ask to be healed and in these 41 verses, only two verses concern his healing. The rest of the story concerns the controversy over his healing. Broken rules take precedence over the healing miracle. Even the Pharisees are divided on this issue. But the controversy presents a teachable moment.
The formerly blind man doesn't really understand what happened. What he does know for sure is that once he sat in darkness and now the whole world is bathed in light. And this he acknowledges! "One thing I know is that I was blind and now I see." "One thing I know is that I was going through a divorce and hurt so badly I couldn't sleep or eat, and somehow Jesus gave me peace." "One thing I know is that I was so depressed I didn't think I could go on, and Jesus helped me get through it." "One thing I know is that I didn't see how I could make the house payment, and God provided what we needed." "One thing I know is that I couldn't imagine living without him, but God came to me and gave me strength." With each of these statements, there is a little bit of knowledge with an acknowledgment of the source of the help.
You'd think that now life would be perfect for the healed man, but life's never that easy. He's a new man, but he's not prepared for life in a sighted world. When he acknowledges Jesus as the source of his healing, he's thrown out of the synagogue.
The final scene is a lonely one in which Jesus and the man talk together outside the synagogue. They are both outcasts. But if we look carefully, we see that Jesus again fills the man's emptiness, giving him strength and understanding. Now the man comes to faith. He receives even greater light and chooses to live in that light. First his physical blindness is healed and then his spiritual blindness vanishes.
The man's understanding of Jesus doesn't come instantaneously. Jesus first appears to him as someone who cares about him. Next he decides that Jesus is a prophet, and finally he acknowledges him as the Son of Man and worships him. Because he's willing to be open, to walk in the new light he receives, he grows in faith and understanding. He gets what others don't get because they are closed to new revelations of the light.
It's easy to become locked into an understanding of God and the scriptures at an immature level and never grow past that level. Sometimes we are blind to new revelation because we cleave to staunchly held beliefs, as did some of the Pharisees. Sometimes we fail to listen to or read anything that is antithetical to our beliefs. We don't see our blind spots because the light never shines on them. When we seek new understanding, our faith matures and we can hear God more clearly and see better from God's perspective. Then we can walk in new light.
Sometimes it's more comfortable to remain blind because sight shows new work to be done. The central character in this story was born blind. Begging was his occupation. Now he's thrust into a seeing world with new responsibility. He must learn a trade. Sight is wonderful but change is both necessary and difficult.
It's like that for us too. We can saunter along unaware of our issues, but when we see them we must either deal with them or watch them worsen. To work on our blind spots takes effort and is emotionally draining. A person in counseling or therapy will be most uncomfortable when emotions and events that have been shoved down emerge into the light. A church that needs a new vision will want to cling to the past because it's easier than change. God will guide us through the healing process when we ask. God wants us to be whole emotionally and spiritually - both individually and as a church - which is why we receive light.
Those who see more than others are at risk to those who think they see all there is to see. People with vision are usually appreciated only in hindsight. Churches don't willingly follow visionaries - at least not at first. Most don't want transformation! Most don't want to change, and pastors are no exception. We've always done it this way and we can continue. Change takes effort, and what if it doesn't work? We become comfortable in our blindness and refuse to take responsibility for our healing. When we believe we see everything we need to see, we ignore our blind spots.
The Pharisees are so sure of everything - that God doesn't work on the Sabbath; that Moses is God's only spokesperson; that anyone born blind must be a sinner and ditto for anyone who breaks the Sabbath rules; that they have the complete light and no one can teach them anything. They are so sure, that they miss the light while a poor blind beggar sees the light and receives physical and spiritual healing.
When we don't let the light in, our inner darkness remains. I love sunlight, but when I open the shades on a bright sunshiny day, I see my dirty windows and dust on the tables. Even when I see the need to clean, I often ignore it. When God illuminates the sin in our lives, we can choose to close the shades and live in darkness, or we can survey the situation and allow God to help us clean it up.
My glasses can lie on the table in easy reach, but if I don't pick them up, they will do me no good. When I put them on I can see the TV better and I can see to drive. God wants to give us better vision so we can eliminate our blind spots. God will provide the glasses but we must use them.
One verse that spoke to me is Jesus' comment: "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say 'we see' your sin remains." Many people have no light because their background makes it impossible to see the light that we see. We are responsible for the light that we have and no more.
When we take in new light, our lives will change. Friendships and priorities and beliefs will change - not all at once, but gradually over time.
Do you cling so tightly to values or traditions or beliefs that you miss God's revelations right in front of you? Are there expectations, loyalties or prejudices you hold so firmly that you dismiss the truth-tellers in your midst? Many people witnessed this miracle of healing, but not everyone believed. Many were given insight but not everyone acted on that insight.
This story opens with a blind man and Jesus' claim to be the light of the world. It ends with the same man seeing the light, both physically and spiritually. For those who admit their blindness, the light of Christ illumines. For those who claim to see, the light is blinding. What will we do with the light God gives?
