THE MAN BORN BLIND

Sermon Summary, “The Man Born Blind” (John 9) 

One of the things that Annual Conference delivers is hope.  On Friday evening we heard “new voices” with a 17 year old telling us “Why Jesus.” In her darkest hour, last August she had tried to commit suicide.  Now she was doing what Peter requires of us all: Always be ready to defend of anyone who asks the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15) 

John in his Gospel tells seven signs and then tells us these are written that we may come to believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and is so believing we may life in his name. (John 20:31)  Maybe the signs are John’s defense of his hope.  John is a difficult book to preach because instead of pithy parables he give us long narrations, this story all of Chapter 9 with Jesus’ dialog spilling over into Chapter 10.  I leave the reading of the story to you, or can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHBo7ka3YZQ.

The first thing I would note is that the man did nothing to deserve healing.  He did ask.  He was not aware of Jesus’ presence.  He man not even have been aware of who Jesus was!  We Methodists call this prevenient grace, God’s nudging even before we know it, God’s unmerited favor even before we are aware of his presence in hour lives.  It happens all the time.  What we must do is to respond.  The man went and washed in the pool of Siloam (which means sent), and we need to respond too, normally by saying, “Yes!”

At some point we will be confronted by Jesus.  In some way, like the man, we will be asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  When we come to understand that Jesus is the source of our grace, what will be our response?

The third point the story makes is that when the Light of the World appears and we find ourselves in the shadows, we need to step into the light.  Jesus tells us (John 3:19) that many love darkness and are thereby judged already.  By believing, we come into relationship with Jesus and through him eternal life.

Lastly, when challenged as the man was by the authorities we need to be able to respond.  The man said (without complete understanding as is with us), “this I know that once I was blind and now I see.”  We need to take time to jot down what we would say if asked casually, “Why are you a Christian, a follower of Jesus?”

Jesus answers for me in the dialogue that follows, “I came that they have life and it abundantly.”  My life with Jesus Christ to full, I wouldn’t want it any other way.  So may it be with you.