Abundant Life with a Blind Man
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – Year A 4th
Sunday of Easter,
Readings:
Psalm
Psalm:23
First
Reading: Acts 2:42-47
Second
Reading: 1 Peter
2:19-25
Gospel: John
10:1-10
What I want to say:
I
want to explore what abundant life is for us, and in light of the healing of
the blind man.
What I want to
happen:
People to live abundantly now in
service for others
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
The last verse in today’s gospel reading is important
one of the central themes of Gospel John is
life
eternal life
life
abundant life
so what is abundant life?
discuss
2. Abundant life for a blind man
to understand what abundant life might mean in
what we heard today
tell story of healing of blind man:
Jesus arrived in Jerusalem
went temple
ends up bit of raruraru – heated discussion with
some Pharisees
then decide that he is blaspheming
try to stone him
hides out for awhile
fair to day that there is a bit of animosity
about
later Jesus is walking with his disciples
see blind man
they ask
“Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents,
causing him to be born blind?”
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.” (John 9: 2-5)
smears blind man’s eyes with mud mixed with
spit
Tells him to wash in pool Siloam
which he does
Bam
just like that
he is healed
life turned upside down
just like that
Bam
At this point Pharisees catch wind of healing
and some are still looking for a stoning
and when they hear what has happened
they are none too pleased
it is the Sabbath after all
people not supposed to do work on Sabbath
healing people is definitely work
They are hoha
and there is more rarurau and heated
discussion
and parents diving for cover
and it all ends with these Pharisees saying
“You might be a disciple of that man, but
we’re disciples of Moses. We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have
no idea where this man even comes from.”
The now not blind man replying “This is
amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my
eyes! It’s well known that God isn’t at the beck and call of sinners, but
listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That
someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If
this man didn’t come from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
to which the Pharisees say, “You’re nothing but dirt! How dare you
take that tone with us!” Then they threw him out in the street.
Jesus hears about this and seeks him out.
and when he finds him asks
“Do you believe in the Son of Man”?
to which the now not blind man, not knowing
who Jesus is because he was blind the last time he had been with him
but kind of thinking the voice sounded right
asks “Point him out to me, sir, so that I can
believe in him.”
to which Jesus says, “You’re looking right at
him. Don’t you recognize my voice?”
The now not blind man says “Master, I believe you
and trust in you,” and he kneels to him
Then Jesus says, “I came into the world to
bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions
clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a
great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.”
There were still some Pharisees lurking about
and they overheard him. So they asked, “Does that mean you’re calling us
blind?”
And Jesus says, “If you were really blind, you
would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you’re
accountable for every fault and failure.”
and just to make sure they get the point he
says
“Let me set this before you as plainly as I
can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of
going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The
shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and
the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them
out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are
familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter
because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but those
Pharisees still had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll
be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no
good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I
am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and
out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I
came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they
ever dreamed of.
sound familiar
should – it is this morning’s gospel
often get tricked into thinking that a new
chapter means a new story
it does in books written today
not in bible
just reference tools added later
And next year we will hear Jesus continue “I
am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself,
sacrifices himself if necessary.
This all ends with some Pharisees saying,
“He’s crazy, a maniac—out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?”
But others weren’t so sure: “These aren’t the
words of a crazy man. Can a ‘maniac’ open blind eyes?”
3. So Many Themes
so many themes at work in this reading this
morning
abundant life
Jesus the light of the world
Jesus the good shepherd
as opposed to those who are bad shepherds
not
seeking lost
not
protecting the flock
acting as thieves
and bandits who steal and kill and destroy.
Jesus the gate
all themes need to be understood in light of
this much longer ongoing story of the healing of the blind man
abundant life is not some abstract idea
but was the reality for a man who had been cut
off from his communities
social
economic
religious
life
blind and therefore being cursed or punished
for sin
that
meant he could not take part in the social life – you might get tainted with
his sin
definitely
could not take part in the religious life
being blind meant he was incapable of being involved
economically.
But when Jesus smears mud over his eyes
and
washes himself in the pool
abundant life was available
in a way he could not have dreamed of before
it was about the dramatic change from outsider
to insider
and then back to outsider by those angry Pharisees
and then being found by Jesus and welcomed
into his community
when Jesus says he is the gate
he is not saying that you have to believe in
him
no
conditions
but that he is the one who welcomes
not the Pharisees with all their rules
all their obedience to Torah
all their conditions that have to be met
Jesus the good shepherd heals the blind man
a man seen as undeserving of compassion
and when he is yet again excluded by those
Pharisees
because
he is healed on the Sabbath
because
he will not bow to their superiority
Jesus the good shepherd seeks him out
and welcomes him into the fold
standing between him and the Pharisees
and their words of exclusion and death.
4. So What Is Abundant Life For Us?
In our Franciscan rule abundant life might be
described as a desire to
To make our Lord known and loved everywhere
To spread the spirit of love and harmony
To live simply
through our Prayer, Study, and Work
which isn’t about us at all
or more simply
abundant life is when our lives are marked by humility,
love, and joy
5. Conclusion
in what ways does Jesus the good shepherd seek
you out
heal you
welcome you?
offer you abundant life?
what does this abundant life mean for you?
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