Thursday of the Second Week of Lent | John 9

Today will be in John chapter 9 and I’m extremely happy to be here in this chapter because it's personal to me. You see when I planted my first church on our very first Sunday gathering I preached on this chapter about the man born blind, who was healed by Jesus but didn't really know who he was, because he was blind. But sitting in the crowd that morning when I planted that church was a woman named Carol. Carol was a no-nonsense business lady from London who could cuss you out a window. I didn't know Carol that day and I didn't know her story. All I knew was that when I was preaching on this man born blind, she seemed angry and after I was done preaching about him, she didn't wait for the worship to start but stormed out. I found out later that what I mistook for anger was fear. Carol herself. Have been healed by God but didn't know who he was. She had turned up for answers that morning and this chapter hit so close to home it actually frightened her. Well, let's jump into the story to see how Jesus revealed himself to someone just like Carol. Verse one, 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? There's something about suffering and healing that both draws and repels us from God. When we suffer, we want to know why. Who sinned? Why does God give one person disease and another disability and another health? In healing brings even more questions. Why them and not me or me and not them, and how and why? We want reasons, we want answers. And in John 9, so do the disciples when they see a man blind from birth. If only it were true that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad. But in a sin-soaked world where everything's broken, some things just don't make sense. And the easy answer is that religious people give, and they just don't work. Easy answers wouldn't have worked for this man's parents either, as they cradled his infant body in their arms, tears flowing down their faces as they wondered if they had sinned, if they had failed God, if he was punishing them. Like the disciples, we all asked the same questions deep down, but there were no answers, at least until now. Jesus stops and answers. Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. There are no easy answers here, and Jesus simply says his blindness will glorify my Father. But what did he mean by that? Well, next Jesus spits on the ground and begins to roll the dirt with his saliva into a pace like a child playing with mud, and he puts it on the man's eyes. Now Jesus doesn't say here's mud in your eye kid, but he says go wash in the pool of Siloam, which means scent and send him Jesus does. Now keep in mind this man hasn't opened his unblind eyes yet to actually see Jesus, tuck that away, you'll need that later, but John will also tell us later that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. If you've been with us in the book of John, you know that that's a big no-no for religious leaders. So, tuck that away. Now you and I may not have caught it, but Jesus specifically chose to make mud and make the man walk along distance to break the Sabbath, believe it or not. The religious leaders have made a rule that you couldn't mix clay on the Sabbath, or it counted as work and you'd be a Sabbath breaker. You couldn't walk too far. It was considered work too. That's why Jesus says in verse 4, As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Does this sound to you like Jesus's is picking a fight with religious people? But back to the blind man. When he washes the mud out of his eyes, he can see for the first time in his entire life. His neighbors are so stunned they think it must be a doppelganger, someone who just looks like him. Verse 13, They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So, the Pharisees again asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes,” and I washed, and now I see.” For a while they debate over Jesus. He's a Sinner, a Sabbath breaker, and he's healing sinners. The blind man sits there quietly and listens. He's good at listening. He's been listening all his life. In the absence of sight, he sat and listened while people debate over him, using him as specimen A, to make their point about God and justice and sin and who's guilty, giving trite easy answers. It just were never good answers. And they're easy answers aren't working when it comes to Jesus. These were the religious people, the Pharisees. They were supposed to have all the answers, and Jesus just throws everything off for them. Here the religious leaders are stumped. So, they turned to the man for answers. Verse 17, they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him since he's opened your eyes?” He said, “He's a prophet.” Prophet. Oh, people are getting excommunicated for saying things like that about Jesus. So, they bring his parents to confirmed this man is not an impostor, but they plead the 5th afraid they'll get in trouble if they back this story they Jesus is a prophet or from God or healed him. So, they called him man back again in verse 24 and say “Give glory to God.” “We know this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind, now I see.” You have to love this guy. He was the one born blind, but the Pharisees just can't see the obvious. I don't know about who's a sinner or not, he says. All I know is I was blind and now I can see. One thing you can say about this blind man, but he’s funny. His pain and hardship have developed a sense of humor to laugh at all the dark ironies of life, and he can feel the Pharisees squirming in agony as they wrestle with their answers that are broken, but the blind man keeps stating the obvious because they were missing it. I was blind and now I see. Back to my friend Carol for a second, her stories a lot like this man's. She had been prayed over on her deathbed in hospice as she was dying of cancer, and yet God healed her. She was discharged and at home as she sat on her sofa and prayed for the first time in her life, she said. I don't know who you are, he, she, what, it. Just tell me, what do you want from me? And at that very moment, the invitation to our little church plant came through the mail slot through her front door. Like this man, she was healed by God, just didn't know who he was. Carol, by the way, was very funny. And that's what I love about this story. It's about to get funnier. Verse 26, they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I've told you already and you would not listen. Why would you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?? And they reviled him, saying, “You're his disciple. We are disciples of Moses. Why are you so interested in him?” He says. Do you want to become one of his disciples? This is comedic gold. He's just punking him. Now we know that God has spoken to Moses, they continue. But as for this man, we do not know where he comes from, the man answers. Why this is an amazing thing, you do not know where he comes from and yet he opened my eyes. Now if I'd had food in my mouth reading this for the first time, I'd just spat it out. That's so funny, so don't choke on it laughing. Why this is an amazing thing. You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. Hello, McFly. The list to say this doesn't end well for him and they ban him from the synagogue. So, let me ask you, can you feel the difference between these religious people and Jesus? Whereas Jesus sent this man to a pool to be healed, the Pharisees cast him out to be deemed a sinner. I love this next part because it talks about Jesus seeking him out again. Verse 35, Jesus heard that they cast him out and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “Who is he, Sir” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him” Jesus said, “You have seen him; then it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord I believe,” and he worshiped him. You have seen him. Jesus turns to the onlookers and gives his own verdict of what just happened in verse 39. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said, “What? Are we also blind too?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say we see you, guilt remains.” Jesus said if you were blind, you would have no guilt. Jesus is finally answering the opening question. What sin caused this blindness? Jesus says that the Pharisees own sin is causing their own blindness. They had thought blindness was proof of sin or consequence of it. Their blindness, says Jesus, is their own fault. They could see the miracles. They could see the evidence, but they refused to see who Jesus was. God was standing right there in front of them, and they just can't see him. My friend, what about you? Can you see him yet? Have you weighed up the evidence? Jesus wants to open your eyes too. And just like Jesus, he a sought this man out and found him he's seeking you today as well.