Lent 4
John 9:1-41
Whom is this man going to the cross?
19 March, 2023
“God of all mercy, by your prayer to heal and to
forgive, graciously cleanse us from all sin and makes us strong.”
We are now half was through the season of Lent. The
second half of Lent begins in a lighter mood in preparation for the depth of
sorrow coming in the Passion. Today’s three Lessons harmonize on the theme of
light, vision, and insight. Samuel is given the insight to see that of all the
sons of Jesse, David was the one to be king. Paul exhorts Christians as
children of light to walk in the light of goodness. Jesus brought spiritual
vision to the man healed by blindness. We pray in the Prayer that we may be
cleansed from the darkness of sin that we may be children of the light, which
is Christ. From the light of spiritual vision, for the cure of our spiritual
blindness.
In Jesus’ day and in many respects, even today - the
popular view was that sin caused suffering. It was held that sufferings were
the direct result of a specific sin. In the case of the man born blind, the
disciples asked, “whose sin” caused the handicap. Was it nature or nurture? Was
the poor man the product of his environment? Or, was a person to be blamed for
his condition? Was it his parents’ sin
or was it his own?
Jesus’ response is telling. He answered that no one
sinned in this case. Some suffering is caused by sin, but in this situation,
the Savior asks us to understand a new concept - we should see suffering as an
opportunity for God’s healing.
Jesus comes to the rescue when a person is rejected.
Because of his defense of Jesus, the healed man was excommunicated, ostracized,
and cast out, a penalty next to death. From henceforth no one was to have any
dealings with this man. When man comes to his extremity, Christ comes with
compassion and support. Here is an insight into Jesus’ love for the downtrodden
and oppressed.
We want someone to light up our lives that we may have
love and happiness. If a lover can light up a life, how much more can Jesus
Christ, the Light of the world, bring light, love, joy, and truth to a person!
In the Gospel for this day, Jesus becomes the light of a blind beggar.
In the Gospel lesson for this morning Jesus has an
encounter with a man born blind. We are given insight by the power of the
Spirit to give us vision.
Today we see how Jesus can light up your life.
1. Light up
your darkness — V. 40. “Some
Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind
too?” We may be blind and not know it.”
A.
Before we can come to the light, we must be aware of our need of light.
There is the dualism of light and darkness. Christ is the light and the world
is darkness.
Darkness may at times overcome the light. Jesus sees
his upcoming death as the hour of darkness. Thus, he must work now while there
is light. The light shall ultimately conquer the darkness of evil. The book of
Revelation portrays heaven as a place where there is no night.
B.
Jesus Christ is the very source of that light. This we confess in the
words of the Nicene Creed. Jesus Christ
is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God
of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one
substance (made of the same stuff as) with the Father…”
Transition: Jesus lights up your darkness – He also gives
light to see.
2. Give light for you to see — V. 5. “While I am in the world, I am the light
of the world.”
A.
Light to see who you are — V. 2. “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Only Christ who is “the cloudless Sun of joy”
is the only one capable who can disperse the darkness of sin and error with the
true light of truth.
God our Lord and Master is not some monster, enthroned
in the heavens heaving lightning bolts at naughty children and all the
“dirties” of this world –arresting and convicting those who get out of line or
misbehave badly.
He is not content with merely punishing those who
commit sin. His desire is to destroy sin completely. He’s more serious about your sin then you
could ever be! He has devised a plan by
which our sin has been dealt with for the last time. He bore our sin in His own
body on the tree and then buried them forever in His tomb. Your sins will never
see the light of day for they are forgiven and gone forever. To receive the Savior’s gracious favor and to
see the Father’s face has been accomplished by Jesus Christ the righteous One.
There is but one word for us to ponder – Repent!
B. Light
to see the meaning of life — V. 25. He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or
not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” Because
Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees could not accept Jesus as a
man from God. In their view, a man of God does not break God’s laws. Was this
Sabbath law the law of man or of God?
For Jesus, human values were higher and of more
importance than legal matters.
Man has a priority next to God, and laws are to serve
the needs of man. In contrast to the
light of the healed man, the Pharisees are in the darkness of sin and unbelief.
They are divided. Some claim He comes from God. Others reject Him because He
dare to heal on the Sabbath.
C.
Light to see Jesus is the Savior — Vv. 35-37. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and
when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell
me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in
fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
This man born blind receives physical and spiritual
sight. It takes a whole chapter to tell the story of how Jesus brings spiritual
light to a man born blind. The actual miracle is told in a few verses, but the
healing gives an occasion for Jesus to bring a man from ignorance to truth,
from being an agnostic at best to becoming a person of faith.
We see the formation of faith: from “the man called
Jesus,” to “a prophet,” to “a man from God” to “the Son of
Man.”
Blindness is a terrible condition — life full of
darkness. Close your eyes and imagine living with this handicap the rest of
your life. Years ago, we took the
children to tour Mammoth Cave. We entered a huge room and the tour guide
explained to us that he would turn out the lights in the cave for us to get a
sense of total darkness. Although the lights were off for just a few seconds
the experience still lingers – the experience of total darkness, a “darkness
that could be felt.” (Exodus 10:21) A darkness that suggests for us of the
LORD’s wrath and judgment. God is light
and gives the light of vision to His children.
While physical blindness may not be a problem, other forms of blindness
spiritual are worse.
People need to know how Jesus Christ can give them perfect vision that they do not stumble nor fall in life’s journey. This is the message the Savior has given to you – not to get people to behave, not to get people to live purpose driven or successful lives, but for them to meet Jesus – the light of the world.
1,385 –Words
12% - Passive Sentences
82.5 - Flesch Reading Ease
5.1 - Flesch-Kincaid Grade level
[1] The
Crucifixion; Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcut copyright © WELS permission granted
for personal and congregational use
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