John 9:1-41
1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, 7 saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, "Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, "We see,' your sin remains.
Reflection - What a Laugh!
This passage always seemed like a comedy show to me as I have read it many times.
First off, I didn't choose to be born. And I didn't choose to be born with whatever I have. So how can it be assumed that the physical parts of my body that I have or even don't have determine if I have sinned? The disciples jumped into a question that makes assumptions and Jesus just blows all of these assumptions completely apart. This guy wasn't born blind because of sin. This guy is this guy and he happens to be different. Aren't we all different? Isn't our differences a beauty to see and learn and observe? They are in my opinion. I wouldn't want to live with a bunch of Bills (even though I do live with a bunch of bills!). So, why jump to the conclusion that, in this case, if a person is blind that someone must have sinned. The two don't go together.
Second, I love how the people kept bugging the man who was blind and now sees, where Jesus was. Well, this guy doesn't even know what Jesus looks like! How is he supposed to know where Jesus is? Another dumb question making assumptions. Maybe the assumption was that if you can now see, you must have been faking it all of this time. I don't know... but really... the now sighted man is happy to see after all.
Just yesterday I was watching National News and they played a clip of a 40 year old woman after receiving a hearing implant that could now hear for the first time. This reminds me of how overwhelming the blind man who could now see must have been at this moment in his life. And then... and then, there were all of these people stuck on how it all happened, who cured him (who's to say it's a cure?) and if the man that gave him sight did the act of the Sabbath! Really? This guy can see! And we aren't all excited for the guy's new gift of sight? We aren't excited for this now sighted man and how his life will change? All we care about is finding fault with the man, his parents and the man who gave him sight? What's wrong with us!
You know what... we all do this kind of thing too. It's not like I or you or anyone else is innocent of not seeing the gifts of God's grace in life. We want to look at the negative side of way too many things in life and become blinded to the obvious, in your face grace of God, right in front of us.
So in our sin of seeing the negative, the downside of every minor detail of life, we turn to the words of Jesus. We are the blind people! We are blind to the grace of God right before what we think are our own sighted eyes! And Jesus tells us that he is the one to grant real sight. Not just the sight of our eyes... that's so easy for God, but the sight of our souls to the grace of God that is present with us and all around us.
Yes, we... I am the sinner of this passage. I am the one that needs sight. I am the one that need Jesus to take some spit and dirt and form the mud that drives me to the pool of water that will grant me sight through Jesus' act of love and compassion. I am the one that needs Jesus to find me in the darkness of my sin as I beg for forgiveness. I am the one that needs the sight of God's grace. I am the one that needs to be compelled to proclaim "Lord, I believe." I am the one who's very existence, who's very being and life is fully dependent upon God's gracious act of love upon that cross that died in my sin and I am the very one that looks to the resurrection of Jesus.
Without Jesus, I die in my own dark sin forever.
So, for me... it's true... as a I once heard a friend of mine say at one of our Saturday Morning Men's Meetings, respond to the question of what you would say upon entering heaven... "I want to see Jesus!"
Amen to that my friend! Yes! I want to see Jesus too!
And as Jesus opens my eyes to see him... all I can picture is Jesus laughing... I'm laughing.. and we're both excited about this entire comedy scene of life... everlasting life!
Thanks be to God!
Yes, I want to see you and I want to touch you and I want to see your face, Jesus!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqHxC7cIOtk
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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