John 9. 1-41. Then man born blind. (Who is really blind?)
Notes
Transcript
John 9.
1-41. Then man born blind. (Who is really blind?)
Who sinned?
Is the question. The man? the parents? (Why the question PPT 9:1 FSB).
Jesus
saying that (God chose that) the man was born blind that Gods works would be
displayed in this him, (and many might see God and his salvation, in what Jesus
was going to do.)
Before that
happens, Jesus will state his mission again, to do the works that God had sent
him to do, before it would be too late and the darkness and night would take
over. And in 5 Jesus declares him to be the light of the world – (As
long as he is in the word. Light= makes life possible, growth of plants, and
people to live).
Jesus then,
dose something that will have people asking why for many 1000 years, (like what
God chose for the blind man to be born blind). Jesus’ spit and made mud and put
it on the man’s eyes, and said go wash in the pool of Siloam. – Let’s make a small pause, - I was remined
about Naman the lepper2 Kings 5:10–13 Naman and Elisha. The story is not about
the water he bathes in, but will he trust in the word of the Lord, - and the
same here, it was not the mud or the water of Siloam, that healed the man, it
was Jesus, and that the man trusted in Jesus words, and did what he said. That
made the man able to see.
We will see
the opposite in the some of the Pharisees, no trust in other people’s words
even if they are from God, they will again appeal to be disciples of Moses but
they reject, the God Moses followed as they slander the man that now sees. (It
is about faith and trust in God, and doing his word, as sign of trust).
9-11) The
man was known in the community What neighbors say, is this the man who
used to sit blind and beg, no he just looks like him, No it is me.. 10) How are
you able to see? 11) The man, and described what Jesus did, the man called
Jesus made mud and asked me to og wash - now I see. Where is Jesus? The
man; I don’t know.
13) They
take the man to the Pharisees, (Great sign has been done, bring glory to God?)
14) But this
was done on a sabbath – trouble ahead
15 restate
11 – The man telling them what Jesus did, -
16) this
man is not from God, The Pharisees, at their first meeting are divided,
some are amazed at the sign this is and can’t make it fit with a sinful man,
Then they
ask the man what do you say about the man, - he is a Prophet, -
18) but
others don’t believe the man was born blind, they don’t trust what the man say
and call his parents to question them if he was born blind. It seems that no
matter what the man will say they will not believe him.
22) the
parents fear the Jews, that would exclude them from synagogue (community)
worship if people confess Jesus as the Christ. The parents give the ball back
to the Pharisees and the man that is not blind, 24) - And the P call him again.
Now they calm to know that Jesus is a sinner, even when they don’t know him, the
mans states the obvious I don’t know if he is a sinner, but I was blind and
now I see. 26) what did he do? 27) I told you but you would not listen. Do
you want to become his disciple to? (provoking). 28) They revivled the man, you
are his disciple. – We are Moses disciples – we know God spoke to Moses, we don’t
know this man. 30) Bold them man speaks up, that is amazing, you don’t know yet
he opened my eyes, God does not listen to sinners but if anyone worships God
and does his will Gods listens to him (reminder to the Ps). 32-33 This is the first
time this happened, - are you blind to see this man is from God? If was not from
God he could do nothing. They have no response because the man is right, they
slander him and make a judgment that he was born in sin and casts him out. (They
are blind).
(This is
one of the passages where most of us are chanllged, - because most of us will
have an opinion about whether God should be allowed to let the man be born
blind for his Glory and the man’s good). (Just remember that God does not owe,
you or me anything, - we often think we that God is obligated to give us
health, and life and much more, but God is not. God does not owe you anything –
but you owe God everything). The story might make us uncomfortable, then we
need to ask why? Are you offended on behalf of the man? His parents? But what
was the outcome? Jesus showed him who he was he meet God and believed. The best
gift of all. Do we trust that God loved this man and his family more that we
do? That God has right to do want God pleases?
Today, many
people are offended on behalf of groups or people, they have never met or
talked to, sometimes fighting for the very opposite that the people they think
they are defending would want,
Today it
would be something like, well a God of love would never let a child be born
blind. And defiantly not to do a magic trick to give bring glory to himself.
The interesting thing is that people that does that are just like the Pharisees,
only thinking about them self. Not Rejoicing in what God has done has no
care for the man that was blind that now see. Oh, what Great problems we
have to see God work when we are so consumed by what we thing God should do and
what we think he should not do. And we don’t care about the people that he made
whole. It shows the great blindness that Jesus said in the end of the passage,
the Pharisees has, because the clame to see, - but are blind, and now
condemned, because they calm to see.
Judging
God, and not caring about the person, oh, how we can make a theological point
and care nothing about the people is healing and saving,
This man’s
life was not easy, the son of God, came and touched him and put mud on him, he
obeyed and he was healed. Jesus goes and finds the man after he was judged to
be born in sin /slandered and cast out, and asks him if he believes in the son
of man, - the man responds who is he sir, that I may believe in him? Jesus
reveals himself to this the son of man (Gods come in flesh – how we can see
Gods love for us). Jesus saying you have seen him and it is he who is speaking
to you. 38) See that man’s response, why did you make me be born blind, God is
not just he is stupid and evil. – NO, He said Lord I believe, that you are
God, and I will worship you, and he did. And Jesus receives his worship
clamming to be God.
When we
have issues problems with how God or Jesus acts, - it might be a call to repent
and come to Jesus to get to the real Jesus not the one me make up in our minds.
Are we more
like the Pharisees? Are we like the parents they are afraid of religious
people and being cast out of the community? Or the man born blind, that gives
up all to worship Jesus as God? Not judging Jesus, or what God did in his life
as he saw, the true life, the light of the world.
I guess the
question is are you born blind? Are you still blind? Or do you think you are
God and can judge God, and others – and clam to be able to see. Then you might
be blind and not know it.
What do you
do with Jesus words? Has Jesus come to you like the blind man? Have you come to
Jesus? Do you trust in Jesus, life, death, resurrection – his coming back? The good news of salvation, freedom from sin,
to be get eyes to see, instead of being blind.
