Learning to See in Dark Times


This sermon can be listened to here

Gate Pa –  4th Sunday in Lent - Year A - 2020
Readings:
Psalm -                             Psalm: 23
First Reading -              1 Sam 16:1-13
Second Reading-           Eph 5:8-14   
Gospel -                       John 9:1-41  

What I want to say:
In this uncertain time what does this the story of the Blind Man being healed offer. What light is being planted in our eyes? Who are we invited to see at this time? In what ways are we being invited to hear and see, to deepen our relationship with Jesus
What I want to happen:
People to grow in care for each other and in hope.

The Sermon

       1.     Introduction:

As we listened to that gospel reading this morning
-         What stood out?
-         What does it offer us in these difficult times?

       2.     Thoughts about Translations

-         Jews here is Judean elite not the Jewish people
o   Don’t use John to be antisemitic
-         Light is something that resides within a persons eye and shines out from the eye so that they can see. It is not something exterior that shines in.
o   Blind people had no light in their eyes and so were blind
o   Jesus becomes the light in the blind mans eye that allows him to see
-         Difficulty of translating from one language to another, when first language has no punctuation
-         "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.
-         That is NOT what the Greek says
-         A more accurate translation would be
o   “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But in order that God’s works might be revealed in him it is necessary for us to work the works of the one who sent me …” [1]
Or as Message puts is
   3 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.”

       3.     The Story

so Jesus returned to Galilee
then comes back to Jerusalem
in temple adulterous woman is brought to him
and then after she has gone he says that he is light world
which leads to quite the discussion with some Pharisees
and ends with them wanting to stone him
so he hides
while keeping low
disciples ask
"Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?"
in Jesus world
blindness is caused by sin
sin here is broken relationships with God and community
not moral failure
            that causes the light within the eye to go out
-         While at one level probably offends us
-         and at another level this is exactly the question we ask when things go wrong
            who is to blame?
Why has no-one been held to account?
“what have I done to deserve this?”

Hence the disciples question
   3 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.”
he restores light within blind man’s eyes
which turns out to be a pretty controversial act
it is the Sabbath
Pharisees find out and get real grumpy

       4.     The blind judge the blind

At this point Jesus has exited stage left
Blind man
            who has no idea what Jesus looks like
            because he was blind
            but can recognise his voice
            because he is not deaf
left face music with his community – many whom not sure if this is man who was blind
he lived on edge
not really one of them
sinner
blind
paid him little or no attention
they were blind to him
but now he is restored to that community
they can no longer be blind to him
he is there in front of them and he can see
no longer a sinner

and Pharisees
they are not blind
they know the law
they know that this kind of stuff should not be happening on the Sabbath
they will not turn a blind eye to this kind of shenanigans
they interrogate the once blind man
and in process
he shows them
this man who was just thought of as a blind sinner
shows the learned insiders
that their blind adherence to law
without any compassion, any generosity, any love
renders them
blind
which takes us back to the disciples first question
"Rabbi, who sinned: these men or their parents, causing them to be blind?"

       5.     The good shepherd strikes again

Jesus hears about all the goings on and returns
man does not recognise him
            never seen him
does hear his voice
recognises the voice
like Samaritan woman
understands his identity is now in Jesus
He is one of Jesus family
he has been born from above
The Jesus light put in his eyes
allow him to see so much more than just what is around him
he can see the reign of God breaking open all around him
gathering up people like him
outsiders
people on the edge
who had been told all their lives they did not belong
God did not have compassion for them
they belong.
His worship is expression of his trust and loyalty

       6.     What does Jesus have to say about this story

(read John 10: 1-21)

       7.     What does this story have to offer us as we face these hard times with church closures etc…

-         We are all blind – where is our blindness
-         Where do we hear the voice of crucified and risen one?
-         Who people invited care for at this time

[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3191

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