March 27/28, 2011 sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert on John 9:1-7,13-17.34-39

March 27/28, 2011 - Lent 3 - sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert Sermon text - John 9:1-7, 13-17, 34-39 1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 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." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. 17 Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." 34 To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." 38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Moses - we should know him well. He led the nation of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt and on a 40 year journey up to the promised land. There Moses died, and we are told of him in Deuteronomy 34, "Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone." Since our sermon text today speaks of blindness, what strikes me about Moses is that at age 120 "his eyes were not weak." In our day people don’t reach 120 years anymore. I also think it is safe to say that way before 120 years our eyes become weak. Why do we here in church make available large print pew Bibles and copies of our orders of service and hymns? At what age do we start holding a book farther from our eyes because we can’t see decently anymore? At what age do we get contact lenses or glasses? At what age do we think of improving our eyesight with some kind of laser or cataract surgery? All of this is because our eyesight can be weak instead of strong. Recognizing this, what we want to do is improve our vision. And the vision I am talking about especially now is our spiritual vision. So let’s talk first about No Vision, then about Partial Vision, and finally about Perfect Vision, as we consider the theme: IS YOUR VISION IMPROVING? I NO VISION (1-7) 1. The man in our text had no physical vision (1) As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. a) what medical help was available for him 2000 years ago? b) certainly not what we have today; he had never been able to see anything around him; his eyes did not work at all 2. Here "why" questions can easily come up (2-3) His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." a) why am I sick and others are not; why do I get cancer and others don’t; why can’t I make a decent living and others can; why are some people good looking and popular and I am not? b) sometimes we have a part in this; but if there are things not under our control, as with the blind man in our text, let’s accept Jesus’ answer: God has a purpose that will serve God’s loving plans for us, a purpose we often may not understand, as the blind man in our text most likely up to this point did not 3. But there is other blindness a) there is blindness to sin; this affected Israel, as we heard God faulting Israel in the Old Testament reading (Is. 42:18-20) "Look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention." - Could God say the same thing to us? "You have heard my Word; you children have learned it in St. Jacobi School; you have all been reminded of it in church services. But are you blind? Do you do things wrong because you don’t see sin as sin anymore? You are influenced by the language and behavior of the world around you and on TV and you see it as okay. You go along with it. After learning so much, are you as blind as Israel was?" b) and then there is a blindness to the Savior, joining the world’s thinking that there are many ways to heaven and surely Jesus is not the only way; thinking there can be many truths - pick what you like best - and Jesus is not the only way and truth and life 4. Jesus is the only real answer (4-7) "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 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. a) clearly Jesus was the answer here for physical blindness b) in a similar way truly seeing Jesus, His truth, His saving work, is the answer to spiritual blindness c) what grace that He does not forsake us sinners, as He did not forsake Israel but carried out His plan to be our Savior; listen to the promise He gave in our OT reading (Is. 42:16) "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." II PARTIAL VISION (13-17) 1. Some still did not see (13-16a) 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." a) the blind man was totally healed and no longer physically blind b) but opposition to Jesus did not change; while the Pharisees could see the fact of the miracle, they didn’t have even partial spiritual vision but were still in spiritual blindness 2. Others began to see (16b) But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. a) some at least recognized and saw this was something special b) it still was only partial seeing, but at least it was not rejecting 3. The healed man also began to really see (17) Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." a) here we might think of two other incidents of vision gradually improving: in one case Jesus physically healed a blind man in stages so that first with partial vision he saw people looking like trees, and then he was given 20/20 vision; the other case is that of a spiritually blind Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well who, before she saw Jesus as the Savior, gradually recognized that Jesus had to be at least a great prophet b) so in our text, a physically healed man at least had partial spiritual vision and recognized Jesus as a prophet from God 4. Is our vision only partial? (17b) The man replied, "He is a prophet." a) many people will recognize Jesus to be a great teacher, or a good example to follow as to behavior, or as an important person and influence in history; but if that is all, they have only partial vision, like seeing Jesus only as a prophet b) what does our treatment of Jesus say about our vision if we think He is important, but not enough to worship Him in church regularly; not enough to serve Him with our lives and offerings when we have many other things we can do with our time and money; not enough to know that He weeps over our sins and has done something about that for us? c) if so, do we have only partial vision, or are we totally blind? III PERFECT VISION (34-39) 1. Some continue to choose blindness (34,39) To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. a) the Pharisees rejected the healed man’s words which gave glory to Jesus; they chose to stay blind to the truth b) we can easily understand what Jesus said about that here Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 2. Jesus continues to reach out (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." a) Jesus reached out so that partial vision could become perfect b) "Tell me" the man said, and Jesus told Him: He was the Son of God who had humbled Himself to become the Son of Man, fully human yet without sin, so that on the cross He could be the innocent sacrifice that would atone for the sins of the world 3. Now the blind man could really see (38) Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. a) this man went from partial to perfect vision when he, like the woman at Jacob’s well, saw Jesus not only as a prophet or important person, but as God’s Promised Savior b) and do you notice what he did? - he worshiped his Savior, as surely as you and I should want to worship Him regularly too 4. Into what category do we fit? (39) Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." a) trust in your own vision, your thinking, your brains, and though you think you see, instead you are spiritually blind b) what about partial vision? - don’t let it stay partial without improving; don’t stay away from regular worship, from using God’s Means of Grace in Word and Sacraments c) instead trust in Jesus, see Him as the Son of God and Son of Man, rejoice in Him as your Savior from sin and sure hope of true life Is Our Vision Improving? Let’s be like Moses when it comes to our eyes of faith. Of him it was said that "his eyes were not weak." May God’s Holy Spirit keep our eyes of faith strong as we continue to worship our Savior, as we grow in knowledge and in strength of faith and spiritual sight. Then we can joyfully sing, "I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see." And then, even if we would be totally physically blind, when we see Jesus we have perfect vision and will surely see the glories of heaven.