John 9:1-41
A Sermon Prepared for the Hollywood Presbyterian Church
April 3, 2011
Rev. Stephen A. Herring
Today we are going to look at how accurately we see the world around us. As an example of our perception and our misperception, let me offer you this example of a block of solid steel. It is hard, and cold. I can’t force anything through it. If I try to put a pencil through it, the pencil will only break. It is a hard, solid block of metal. The truth is though that there is more than one way to look at this block of metal. From the perspective of nuclear physics, it is mostly empty space. The distance between the electrons and the nucleus of each iron atom is so great that each molecule is primarily nothing but empty space. It is a great deal more dense than an equal volume of air or water. It will fall through the air, and it will sink in the water. It is more dense than my hand, so I can’t put my finger through it, but its actual molecular composition is mostly empty space. There you have two completely different ways of perceiving the same thing. There you have two “truths” which are equally true, yet different from each other.
Our scripture lesson today is about how well we can learn to see this thing we call sin. Will we see sin exclusively from our own personal perspective, or will we improve our spiritual vision so as to see sin from God’s perspective?
John tells us about a time when Jesus and his disciples met a man who was blind form his birth. Seeing his blindness the disciples asked Jesus; “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) This was a question about the nature of sin and the nature of the soul in ancient Judaism. Had this man sinned in a previous life, or was he receiving the punishment for some sin that his parents had done? That’s what the disciples were asking. Jesus responded by saying; “It was not that this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might become manifest in him.” (John 9:3)
These words offer us a completely new way of understanding all that is wrong in our world and in our lives. It was not about sin, but about ways for the works of God to become manifest. It is all about obtaining a vision of the mighty works of God. God’s works are manifested in creation, and in the renewal of creation. The greatest works of God are the works of forgiveness, justice, and mercy. God’s work is evident in what has been made, but the most amazing work of God is the work done on the cross where all creation is redeemed.
Jesus said; “We must work the works of the One who sent me while it is day, for night is coming when no one will be able to work. While I am in the world, I AM the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5) Saying this, he spat on the ground and made mud of the spittle, and he put the mud on the eyes of the blind man.
The image of mud and spit is used in various ancient texts[1] to show the power of God to manifest all our reality from mud and spit. God made Adam out of mud, and Jesus created new eyes for this blind man out of mud. God has the power to transform common mud into a person with full spiritual vision. The nature of mud has something in common with the nature of humanity, and the nature of humanity has something in common with the nature of God.
How could Jesus change the very nature of a person so that one who was born blind would receive vision? I believe there is only one way to do this. The man himself had to be recreated, created anew. This is the lesson we need to draw from this text. Jesus has the power to make us over again. Not only can Jesus make us over again, Jesus can bless us with true spiritual vision. The Apostle Paul says; “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
In order to receive this new creation and this new vision we first need to admit that we are blind. At the end of our story from John Chapter 9, Jesus says; “For judgment I have come into this world, in order that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39) Our big problem is that we think we can see. We believe that we see things accurately. We fail to realize how inaccurate our vision really is. Because we think we can see clearly, we form all sorts of judgments about the world around us. We like this person and we don’t like that person. We trust these people, but we do not trust those people. This group of people is righteous, while that group of people is unrighteous. One group believes correctly and they are our friends, while another group believes incorrectly and they are our enemies. We delude ourselves into thinking that we have it all figured out. The more we think we have all the answers the more extreme we can become in our ideology. The more extreme we become, the more we act in blindness.
The first thing we need to do is to admit that we cannot see. We do not possess light that is sufficient for us to accurately perceive the fullness of God’s creation. We only see in part, and we only know in part.[2] Our failure comes in our tendency to rush into judgments on the basis of our partial knowledge and our partial understanding.
For an example, look at our relationships. We think we know what motivates people to say and do the things they say and do. We are blind. We do not understand them because we are not them. How many of our conflicts are based on misunderstandings? How many relationships have been lost because we have not taken the time to understand one another?
Another example is the way we become so intensely frustrated and aggravated by the sins of others. In our messed up perception, it is so easy for us to see the sins of others. I can see other people’s sins with crystal clarity. Because I can see their sins so clearly, I get bothered by them. Because I get bothered, I get angry. Because I get angry, I speak and act in anger. Because I speak and act in anger, I become alienated and separated from others. Because I become alienated and separated from others, I can see their sins so much more clearly. This leads to a vicious circle in which our separation becomes worse and worse.
To make this as real as possible, I will provide two examples from my own personal file of annoying sinners. The first one is pastor Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas Florida Afghanistan
I use this example because verse 31 of our scripture reading today reads as follows: “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” (John 9:31) This verse happens to be restated more than five times in the Koran.[3] It is at the heart of Moslem teachings. This verse also suggests to us that God is a lot more tolerant of us than we are of each other. God has room in God’s house for many and various ways of seeing salvation.[4]
I must admit that I can’t see all these ways that the salvation of God becomes manifest upon the earth. I can only see and bear witness to the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. I need to remember though that my vision is incomplete. I need to trust in God to help me see more clearly. I need to constantly humble myself before the mystery of God and ask for my blindness to be cured.
Even those whose conduct, words, and actions annoy me so badly may be preparing the way for the works of God to become manifest upon the earth. I have to believe that God is in control, even in the face of such confusion and chaos. I have to believe that even the worst parts of our nature and conduct can be redeemed by God. Even the worst of our sins can serve to make manifest the works of God.
My task is not so much to complain about the sins of others as it is to work to behold the glory of God more clearly. I need to admit that I am blind to the fullness of God’s glory. I need to admit that other people may see God’s glory more clearly than I do. I need to accept the mud of my own creation and my own blindness and my own sin. I need to let that mud be redeemed and recreated by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Then I will have eyes to see and ears to hear. Even our sinfulness is created by God. It is not that we sinned or that our parents sinned, but that the works of God may become manifest among us. Let us be reborn from mud into the light. Amen.
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