Today, we are going to really dive into the amazing healing found in John 9. It is such a fascinating story. It provides so much relevance for our church culture today.
John 9, tells the story about Jesus and his disciples passing a blind man in the street. The disciples immediately want to have a theological discussion about why he was blind. Jesus basically draws them away from the discussion to the need at hand...this man is blind, he can't see, and all they could do was debate why he was blind. Was it his own sin or the sins of his parents that caused this blindness?
Are you kidding me? Why can't they see his need and recognize His power? Verses 6 – 7 says: “Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” The man is healed, his life is transformed, and an argument ensues. Verse 8-9: “His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” His neighbors are arguing because they don’t understand how a blind man can see.
In verse 10, the religious people join the fray, “How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.” I think the former blind guy is thinking, “Who cares? I’ve been a blind beggar all my life and all you want is an explanation? I’m thinking I might get a little attention, we might have a little celebration, maybe a party, and all you want is an explanation!” Everyone else wants to discuss the theology of the healing; the blind man wants to celebrate the healing. Verse 11 he says, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” But who cares? “I can see!”
Verse 12: “Where is this man?” they asked him. He can see, and all they want is answers. He then gives the catch-phrase for the whole chapter…“I don't know”" he said.” “I don’t know who He is, I don’t know how He did it, I don’t know where He is…but I can see! Would somebody please celebrate with me?”
Then things really begin to heat up. Verses 13-16: “They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” This can’t be God because this does not match our paradigm about God; therefore, we know it wasn’t God. We read that and go, “What a bunch of narrow-minded, ego-centric, arrogant people! To think that they know so much about God, that beforehand, they know everything about what God would or would not do, could or couldn’t do.” You see, it didn’t make sense to them, they couldn’t explain it; therefore, they refused to believe it.
But are we much different today? When God begins to work in ways that we are unaccustomed to; when other people begin to experience God in ways that are different from the ways we experience God, don't we often refuse to believe as well?
Verse 16 continues: “But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.” Meanwhile, the healed blind guy has got to be screaming, “I don’t care! Can we get a little celebration going here! Would somebody be happy for me for just a moment!” Finally in verse 17: “Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” "I don’t know, I haven’t even seen Him yet. I don’t even know what He looks like. I went home to have a celebration and your asking me for theology. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know who He is. I don’t know where He is. I don’t know if your suppose to heal on the Sabbath. I don’t know…but I can see! I can’t explain all of that, but you can’t deny the fact that I can see! Why are we so hung up on explaining it? Why can’t we just celebrate the event? I can see?"
Why do we have a hard time celebrating the undeniable...he is healed. Why do we get so hung on over the unexplainable...does God work outside my paradigm?
Verse 24 continues: “A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” How do they know that? I’ll tell you how they thought they knew that. They thought they knew what God God does and doesn’t do. He’s right there in their box, and what has happened is an out-of-the-box experience; therefore they thought they knew that it was not of God.
Then the former-blind guy gives the punch-line. Verse 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!” It doesn’t really matter to me if God is suppose to act that way or not. And it doesn’t really matter to me whether Jesus is of God or not. It doesn’t really matter to me what day it happened. Don’t ask me anymore theological questions because I don’t know and frankly, I don’t even care. What is undeniably true for me is that once I was blind, but now I see.
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