“Surely We Are Not Blind, Are We?”
“Surely We Are Not Blind, Are We?” ~ John 9:40
a sermon by Rev. Sonja Dalglish, M.Div.
for Weslaco First Presbyterian Church
April 3, 2011
I Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:3-14, John 9:1-41
Focus Statement (What does the text say?): There is more to sight than we can see with our eyes.
Function Statement (How will the text affect its listeners?): To encourage us all to let our hearts and minds remain open to God’s prompting, and to look for what God is doing in the world.
Introduction – The Common Element in the Texts
In one way or another, all of our texts today deal with darkness and light, sight and blindness. We know there are many ways of seeing and knowing what is around us. In English, as in Greek, ‘to see’ can be ‘to understand.’ We can see through the subterfuge, see the truth, or we can just be in the dark. Paul’s letter asks us to come out into the light as we follow Christ.
The Scriptures and the Use of Sight and Light
The Gospel Lesson – Jesus Healing the Man Who Was Blind from Birth
Turning to the Gospel, we see a man who was blind from birth who was healed. The man healed was quite happy with his healing and said he did not know of anyone blind form birth who had been given sight. His parents seem to be somewhat afraid of the the Pharisees who see problems with this miracle.
First, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. Evidently, this was considered working by the Pharisees who were charged with keeping and interpreting the laws. Then, Jesus had not been vetted by the Pharisees. They had not invited him to be a preacher. In modern terms, they had not ordained him for ministry.
Their reaction is one of the scariest things in the story. And, we know that religious people can be scary. They tend to want to be in control of things. Notice that their attitudes are not those of humility. How different they are than the attitude expressed by King David in Psalm 23. Religious people through the ages have suffered from an extreme lack of humility, even when we try to be humble.
And when the Pharisees ask Jesus, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” There is a play on words. Because even though they can see with their eyes, they do not understand.
- They do not want healing on the Sabbath.
- They do not understand where Jesus’ power came from – they did not authorize it.
- They do not understand that although they control the religious expression in the community, they cannot control God.
- Even though they are very religious and very learned, they do not understand the God they worship or recognize God’s actions among them.
In this last item, they are very much like the Woman at the Well last week.
Samuel & David
In the Old Testament lesson from 1 Samuel, we have the ‘seer’ Samuel, seeking out the next king, yet being distracted by the seven good looking, strong, older brothers. If we recall the stories about the first king, Saul, we remember he was chosen to be a king like the kings of the other nations. He was chosen for his size and strength while he was in the field. He was the kind of man they wanted to head their army.
This time, the king was chosen not for his outer appearance, but for his heart which God can see. Only God can see our hearts. Yet, God is able somehow to convey that information to Samuel.
This could be important as this church goes forward to choosing the next pastor. You will be praying for God to work in and through this process, readying the right person to come and praying that you will not be distracted by outward appearances, but that you will know when the right person comes.
2.2 Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is one of the favorite psalms, even today, about three thousand years after David wrote it. It is a psalm about the character of God and God’s relationship with us.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
First, David, the King, is saying there is someone more powerful than he. God is the shepherd of the King and the shepherd of Israel. This is remarkable humility for the man whom we have labeled the best King of Israel.
In this first line, David also says that God will supply all of his needs. There is nothing of this world that can pull him away from God. We know that this is not referring to just physical needs because we all know of people who have lost jobs or health or family members even when they have prayed fervently. David is talking about something that is larger and stronger and more lasting than our houses, our jobs, and our worldly status. He is saying that you are whole and loved and precious to God.
How different is that from the constant bombardment that we have from our advertising industry that tries to tell us that we are not complete unless we have the right shampoo, clothes, or car, or thousands of other things. God will give us what we need to be whole. With God, we are precious people. With the world, we are consumers, a means to someone earning a living by selling us something.
What Does This Have to Do With You and Me?
While we are alive and on this earth, there is nothing that is not at risk, our lives, houses, jobs, family, and yet we know that we have that deep connection with God that will survive even beyond death. There is a part of us that is safe, regardless of what happens here.
Did you notice when the Pharisees really got into trouble with Jesus? It was when they asked, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus response played upon the double meaning of blindness and sight. Jesus was doing the work of God, the Creator. If they did not understand, their actions could be forgiven, but if they understood and knew that it was God working, and they tried to stop it, then their sin remains.
We need to look around for what God is doing in the world, looking for ways to promote health and wholeness of this world. We need to pray for the eyes to see this. What better gift can God give us than for us to see things from his perspective?
One thing that Presbyterians are doing well is the Presbyterian Hunger Program. We are helping around the world, joining with other denominations and the people of the area to help create sustainable agricultural practices. If you go to the website for Presbyterian Hunger program, you can learn about many kinds of projects. There is a project to restore agriculture to Haiti.
Another project is helping to keep us informed. The site has a list of current legislation here in the U.S. that I could contact my representatives about. Clicking on one of those pieces of legislation, it described the details, told me who my representatives are and how to contact them. This helps us be more involved in our democratic system, reaching out to help those around us.
There is the “Fair Trade” project that ensures that the farmers who grow the coffee or chocolate or other produce are paid good prices for their crops. Many Presbyterian churches order their church coffee from this network, helping the farmers as they do it. In addition, many individuals also order from this network, including me.
Conclusion
We may not always understand what God is doing, but is that because we are not looking? Or is it that we see but do not understand what we are seeing? One problem the Pharisees had was that they thought they knew everything about God because they had studied the scriptures but when God was acting in front of them, they could not recognize it.
We don’t want to get in the way of the Spirit and make the mistake of the Pharisees in being blind to the good that God does. We need to continue to grow in spirit so that God can open our eyes to the needs around us. And when we see what God is doing and longing to do, we need to pray for the courage to help.
Let us pray.
references:
http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/hunger/
First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” 4Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.” 7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” 11Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Psalm Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff —
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.
Second Reading Ephesians 5:8-14
8For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light — 9for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Gospel John 9:1-41
1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.
35Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
