AtomGod is in the business of Opening the Eyes of the Blind
Pastor Dave Peterson
First Lutheran Church
April 3, 2011
John 9:1-41
John 9:1-12
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.”
This is the Good News, the Gospel of Our Lord…
The Good News of the Gospel today: This is our theme…this is our center!!
God is in the business of opening the eyes of the Blind.
It’s too easy to get caught, like the disciples into why blindness, etc… thus, to the question “Who sinned?” –I think Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message, captures the origi¬nal meaning more accurately:
“Jesus said, ‘You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.’” The issue isn’t who caused this blindness; the issue is who has come to heal our blindness.” And, with that, Jesus restores the man’s sight which sets the stage for what’s to come.
Then, in verses 13-34…
The healed blind man is brought to the Pharisees because he was healed on the Sabbath
He was questioned…His parents were questioned….
His parents renounced him so they didn’t get kicked out of the community
The healed blind man is insulted…
Accused of being a sinner from birth…
And kicked out of the community…
And then, after all of this…we hear what John, the Gospel writer, really wants us to hear…that God is in the business of bringing sight to the blind: including the SPIRITUALLY BLIND people.
Listen in:
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.
Most every Bible I looked in gave these closing verses the title: “Spiritual Blindness”. And if we were to try to summarize what “Statement of Faith” the Gospel writer John wants us to hear in this incredible story…I sense it would be something like this:
God is in the business of opening the eyes of the Blind. This is the message.
This is what Jesus came for…this is what God is about.
It happened for the Blind man…this is clear…
It happened for Saul, the author of the letter to the Ephesians: Saul, who after his eyes were opened was given a new name Paul…with a new mission and purpose.
It happened to a man named John Newton…perhaps you’ve heard the story!! Take a listen to Wintley Phipps tell this story…
PLAY YOUTUBE EDITED VERSION OF VIDEO – YouTube “Just the Black Notes”
I bet you’ll never sing Amazing Grace EVER the same!! By the way, this afternoon I sure invite you to take a listen to the entire YouTube video…it’s absolutely sensational. The address is in the bulletin.
The Good News of the Gospel today is:
God is in the business of Opening the eyes of His people.
He opened the eyes of the Blind Man, He opened the Eyes of Saul, He opened the eyes of Nicodemus in our Gospel two weeks ago, He opened the eyes of the Samaritan Woman in last week’s Gospel…He opened the eyes of John Newton…He’s opened the eyes of His people for thousands of years…and He’s STILL in the business of opening the eyes of His People today!
Our Lenten Journey has been about this “Opening the eyes of God’s people” these past Wednesday evenings. It’s been a journey of asking God to Open our eyes to see the hole in Our Gospel…asking Him to help us see the WHOLE Gospel.
Last Thursday evening, at our Council meeting…we heard the scriptures for today read (about God bringing sight to the blind…and about “once you were darkness and NOW you are light in the Lord.” Then, in small groups, each was invited to reflect upon one of the following thoughts:
1. In what ways are your eyes more OPENED to the Kingdom of God among us than they were say one year ago?
2. Are there ways you can reflect that indeed, you are seeing some things of God more clearly than you have in the past?
3. How do you/we deal with the BLIND spots in our lives, in our ministry together?
4. In what ways do you sense God is calling You/First Lutheran to be a LIGHT in the midst of darkness?
5. How has our Lenten Journey through “The hole in our Gospel” helped you/First Lutheran to see our ministry/mission with a new sense of clarity?
The small group I was in…it was really fascinating…
I shared…this year God has opened my eyes to the needs of the hungry and homeless in Detroit Lakes…to the point that I now joined the Habitat for Humanity board, and know I’ll continue to be connected with the ministry of the Compassion House.
Another told of how his children have become more OPEN to the blessings they enjoy that they were taking so much for granted…
Now, as we put all 5 on the same screen (and it’s hard to read I know)….Now, I invite YOU, God’s people to do the same. Take just a moment…pick one of the thoughts…and consider your response. And now…any one care to offer your reflections in the whole of worship today…as to try to do “small groups” wouldn’t really work I think!?!?
The GOOD NEWS IS: God is in the business of OPENING the eyes of His people: in many ways! One way is to the needs of others…let’s hear of another way!!
As was mentioned: Last week Pastor Wade told us the story of how God opened the eyes of the Samaritan women to let her know how valuable she was in the Eyes of God!!
Low self-image, self esteem runs rampant in our society…people feeling they are of little worth and value. Today’s Gospel invites us to SEE others and ourselves different…
And this seeing OURSELVES different is just as important as seeing others differently!!
My Brainerd friend DEAN thought he was not worth much…in his eyes, in the eyes of the church and in the eyes of God. His job was not a “status job”, his family name wasn’t a profile name….he didn’t think he had many skills to offer to others, BUT…
When God helped him to SEE who he really was and He became aware of His value to God…WOW…he was like the Samaritan woman of last week…and the blind man of this weeks’ Gospel…
Blindness…Spiritual Blindness…it was happening back then and it’s still happening in our day and age. Again…reminding us:
God is in the business of OPENING the eyes of His people
One final thought for today…
In Matthew 25, the Gospel speaks of a blind people needing their eyes opened.
“Lord,” they ask, “when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ And Jesus said, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers/sisters of mine, you did it for me.”
One of our Lenten goals this year is to form a “Matthew 25 Ministry Team” with the purpose of helping us both SEE opportunities to serve and then just as much to BE the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. This team would be a tool of Jesus…remembering what He said in Matthew 25:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers/sisters of mine, you did it for me.”
Maybe God is calling YOU to be on this team…to help us SEE ministry possibilities. And then, when we see them…give us ways to ACT and LIVE with NEW EYES OF FAITH!!
After all, it’s one thing to have our eyes OPENED…it’s another thing to then ACT and LIVE with these NEW EYES of FAITH!!
This is what this Matthew 25 Ministry Team would do.
Maybe this is your call…to be on this team…if so…let Pastor Wade or me know!!
The Good News of the Gospel today:
God is in the business of opening the eyes of the Blind.
This of course begs the prayer: Lord Jesus, show me, show us where I’m, where we are blind…and then empower us, empower me to act and live for you.
Thus…
This sermon is going to end with a time for Prayers of Confession and the hearing of God’s word of Forgiveness…
And then…we’re going to be invited to sing John Newton’s song…about what God is still doing in our world today.
AND then…we GET TO receive God’s incredible Gift of life in communion.
Let’s enter into this time of Confession seeking God’s new eyes of Faith…
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