Blind but Now I See!
Lent 4 (March 2, 2008)
Rev. Steven D. Spencer – Pastor Messiah Lutheran Church, Salem, OR
John 9:1-8
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?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said these things, he spat 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. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"
Just before our text Jesus had been at the Temple. The providence of God is quite apparent here. It is all by plan. In chapter 8 Jesus had told the Pharisees that HE is the Light of the World. Again and again He offered Himself to them as Savior. But they rejected Him.
And now He arranges to meet and heal a blind man on the Sabbath day. But not just to heal his physical blindness but also his spiritual blindness. For Jesus will increase faith in him and to prove that He is truly the Son of God. By doing this, Jesus will confront the Jews and their stubbornness, but alas their obstinacy will only grow ever deeper. For even the involvement of the Pool of Siloam, a type of Christ as told in Isaiah 8:6, will be rejected. This symbolism is deliberate, not just some type embellishment by the writer of the Gospel. God sent Jesus for a dual judgment, verse 39 says: “He is the great Siloam, the One sent from God. Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind"
(John 9:39).
Because of the Pharisees’ presupposition that healing was prohibited on the Sabbath, they deny Jesus' divinity, they argue among themselves, they even deny that the man had been born blind and had received his sight. So they grill his parents, put the man under oath, revile the man, claim a fictitious Moses as teacher and later are lectured by the man, vilify him, and throw him out. Rather than rejoice they are filled with rage.
On the other hand, the healed man consents to be brought to Jesus' adversaries, states the facts of the healing, he is called a second time, testifies to the facts once again, he grows impatient, then ironically, question whether they too would like to become Jesus' disciples. He is amazed that they don't see the significance of the miracle, and then he shows them how ridiculous they are, but never renounces what he knows to be truth.
To really appreciate everything that is going on here we need some additional information. What do we know about the Pharisees? We know they are well trained disciples of the Jewish faith. They have the studied the Scriptures. They are waiting for the return of the Messiah. They have poured over Isaiah’s prophecies looking in particular for the signs of the times. All was ripe for the coming of the Messiah. The Temple was restored. The Holy of Holies was once again restored. Sacrifices once again were being made in the temple. All was in place and the only thing lacking, was the Messiah. They had even prepared themselves for His coming by living virtuous lives of piety. In their minds they had nothing to fear, for they were righteous. They would be the new leaders of Israel, flawless leaders to manage the Lord’s elite.
For a moment I want you not to think of the Pharisees as self righteous enemies of the Jesus. Instead try to imagine them as the protectors of the truth. You see that’s what they had been. For 4 centuries while schisms in Judaism had arisen moving the nation of Israel away from God’s Word it was the Pharisees that had kept it pure. They believed they were the only force that could keep the knowledge of God untainted. They prided themselves in being the true followers of God. By their actions, by their interpretation and by their very existence they believed they were the ones that could preserve Israel. Therefore they believed only they, should be consulted in identifying the Messiah. If the Messiah had come he would surely recruit them to be his disciples.
What do we know about the blind man? John 9:1 says: “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.” This man was not someone that had traumatic episode that caused his blindness. In other words, he didn’t have hysterical blindness, his eyes had never worked. Even the disciples of Jesus knew about this man verse 2 tells us this: And his disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?"
Before we go on there is something important that we don’t want to miss in the disciples’ question. By asking Jesus this question it shows that they believed in His omniscience. Evidently this individual case must have been a topic of conversation. Listen to what the Pharisees said in verse 34. ‘They said to him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And then they cast him out.’ People believed that this man was born blind because of a specific sin. The disciples believed it too. They merely ask: "Who is responsible?"
Notice how Jesus responds. John 9:3 "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Of course, all imperfection results from sin. But Jesus is saying: "Don't try to single out a person’s lack of righteousness as the cause. For none are righteous”
Jesus came to save the sinners not to condemn them!
The Pharisees look to condemn. They use themselves as the measuring stick by which all should live. But before we condemn them for such action, don’t we do the same. How many of you have looked around the sanctuary today to see who isn’t here? I admit it, I do it every Sunday. It’s not wrong if our motives are right. Do you do it because you are concerned for your neighbor? Or do you do it because it makes you feel better about yourself? “God must love me more because I am here”
Somewhere, at some time, the Pharisees had forgotten the difference between God felt concern and self-righteous indignation. God’s grace and mercy had been replaced by His law and manmade regulations to obey it. The Pharisees had exchanged the job of being keepers of the God’s Word with the job of being keepers of righteous regulation. I want you to hear this, so please listen. We are not the keepers of righteous regulations, for we in and of ourselves are not righteous. We are sinners! We have sinned against others and God in thought, word and deed, by what we have and by what we have left undone. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not loved God with our whole heart. Yes we deserve eternal judgment, we deserve eternal damnation! If we got what we truly deserved we would burn in the fires of hell!
The Pharisees had forgotten about God’s wonderful mercy and rather than rejoice at the renewed sight of a blind man they doubted, they scoffed, they passed judgment. Oh the joy missed! How Jesus so desired to turn their hardened hearts back to the truth!
The sight of the blind man had been restored both physically and spiritually. The blind man could see. He could see Jesus as Lord and savior. But the Pharisees, once the protectors of the Word, didn’t recognize the Word in their midst. Those who would be the first to tell you how clear their vision couldn’t see at all. They were blind to the truth, they were blind to the light. A man who spent his life in darkness now saw the light. And those claiming to be the protectors of light now lived in darkness.
For seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing. Jesus says: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world"(John 9:5). You know that, for Jesus has shined His light in you! And you are now the light of the Lord. You shine Jesus light by living in faith - faith spoken into you, by His Word, by His baptism, by His Supper, by His cross. For Jesus didn’t just live righteously, He died righteously. And He did it all for you that you might be saved. For you too were blind before the Lord touched you, but now you see. In Jesus name, amen!
May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen!