pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: blindness


by Leave a comment

Healing Brokenness

Reading: John 9:1-17

John 9:2 – “Rabbi, who sinned so that he was born blind, this man or his parents?”

Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema

Today’s gospel reading begins with an important question and an even more important answer. The disciples ask Jesus about the root causes of a man’s blindness. It is a question wrapped in that culture’s understanding of disease and illness. Because medicine had not yet provided explanations for blindness, skin disease… the assumption was that sin or some other brokenness in the community caused the illness, disease, plague… To be healed or cured was to be restored to community or for the community to return to wholeness.

In answer to their question, Jesus responds that neither the man nor his parents sinned. It was not a grandparent or great grandparent either. The blindness (and its healing) are an opportunity for “God’s mighty works” to be displayed. Being light to the world and to this particular man, Jesus makes some mud, puts it on the man’s eyes, and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam (which means “sent.”) The man is healed – he can see. There is some disagreement over the healing. There is concern over when the healing happened. We delve into all of this tomorrow as we press on in John 9.

But today, within the context of the community’s wholeness, we wrestle with the brokenness of our world today. In a world that produces enough food to feed itself many times over, why do many go hungry? What sins cause this? In a nation with the best possible medical care, why do many go untreated? What sin causes this? In a place where there are abundant resources and space, why do we refuse to welcome some in? What sins cause this?

Prayer: Lord God, heal our hearts, heal our nation, heal our world. The sins of some cause many to suffer or to live in scarcity. The desire for the pleasures and riches of this world lead some to turn their backs on the sufferings and injustices of our time. Our own sins of omission result in silence and inaction, allowing evil and darkness to reign. Lord, pour your healing love into our hearts. Use us to engage in healing the brokenness of our world, of our communities, and of our lives. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Life to the Full

Reading: John 10 and 11

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life – indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest.”

In today’s reading we really see the division created by Jesus’ words and ministry. It is first revealed in the healing of the blind man. The “light of the world” ends the man’s darkness, restoring his sight. There is division amongst those who now see him. Some say it is the blind man and others say it just looks like him. This question is answered as the man is brought to the Jewish leaders. Calling in his parents, they testify that he is their son who was born blind. They say they don’t know how he sees. Even though he has already told them, the leaders ask again. He asks them, “Do you want to be his disciples too?” They insult him. In response he reminds them that God doesn’t listen to sinners but to those who are devout and do God’s will. The man is expelled from the synagogue.

The story transitions next to spiritual blindness. Jesus centers this teaching on the shepherding metaphor. The shepherd enters through the gate, the sheep know his voice, he leads them out. Jesus declares, “I am the gate.” Others come to “steal, destroy, and kill.” The good shepherd, Jesus, “came so that they could have life – indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest.” Life to the fullest. What an image! What a reality for those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The metaphor continues with Jesus telling the Pharisees that he will “lay down his life for the sheep.” Unlike the hired hands now listening to the story, Jesus cares about the sheep – and about the sheep not if this pen too! More division reveals itself as they argue about Jesus having a demon. Others ask, how then could he heal this man?

As chapter 11 closes, Jesus tells the “Jewish opposition” that the signs he does should testify to his being one with the Father. He invites them to see this, to believe in him. But they are ready to stone him. As Jesus’ time has not yet come, he escapes, going out to Bethany to minister there.

Prayer: Lord God, reading these stories we so clearly see that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Yet when we step away, going out into that world, we can become blind to needs, to our own sin, to injustice. Lord, help us to live with eyes wide open, living and enjoying the fullness of life that you give to all who believe. Amen.


by Leave a comment

May We See

In John 9 Jesus heals a man blind from birth.  It is really a pretty simple event.  No begging for Jesus to heal him, no pre-healing conversation, no post-healing event.  Jesus notices the man, puts mud on his eyes, and tells him to go wash in a pool.  The man does and now can see.

The Pharisees become stuck over the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath instead of seeing the working of a miracle.  They are blind to the truth before them.  The Pharisees are spiritually blind.  They bring in and question the man and then his parents and then the man again.  The man simply tells what happened but the parents are afraid of the leaders.  They play it close to the vest.  But the man boldly retells tha story and angers the Pharisees.  He doesn’t care because now he can see.  After this witness, some amongst them must have begun to see the miracle, but they kept their eyes squeezed shut.  They too were afraid to be cast out.

The man that was healed had been physically and spiritually blind.  The Jewish society believed that his pre-birth sin (or his parent’s sin) had caused him to be blind. Because of this, the man lived on the outside of Jewish society.  And then he encountered Jesus.  First Jesus heals his physical blindness and then later his spiritual blindness.  In between this man offers a simple testimony to the Pharisees, almost a childlike faith.

But the Pharisees are still stuck, blind to the miracle.  How many people do we know who are stuck at this rule or that requirement or that misconception about our churches or our religion?  How many need to simply see or experience Christ-like love and service to begin to see our faith?  How can we be that experience for one who is blind?  May our own eyes be open and our hearts be willing so that we can see and seize that opportunity before us!!