Jesus heals the man born blind

John 9

With Jesus, we work.

Physical suffering might be a result of our own sin... Is anyone among you ill? ... the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven... confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5: 14 - 16

With Jesus, we work.

Physical suffering might be a result of our own sin...

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children... God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12: 7 - 11

With Jesus, we work.

But our suffering often isn’t a result of our own sin...‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works 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.’ John 9: 3 - 5

The pain of the oncology ward,

or

the pain of the maternity ward?

With Jesus, we see.

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

Genesis 1:3

With Jesus, we see.

Why did Jesus ‘make some mud’?

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the groundGenesis 2:7

With Jesus, we see.

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Isaiah 29: 18

With Jesus, we see.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 4

With Jesus, we see.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8: 12

With Jesus, we’re changed.

His neighbours 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.” (8 - 9)

With Jesus, we’re changed.

‘The man they call Jesus’ (11)‘He is a prophet’ (17)‘Do you want to become his disciples too?’ (27)‘Lord I believe’ and he worshipped him. (30)

With Jesus, we’re sent.

“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (7)

With Jesus, we’re sent.

‘The man they call Jesus...’ (11)‘I washed, and now I see...’ (15)‘He is a prophet...’ (17)‘One thing I do know I was blind but now I see...’ (25)‘Do you want to become his disciples too?’ (27)‘If this man were not from God he could do nothing’ (28)

What is a ‘Missional Community’?

Although we frequently say "the church has a mission," according to missional theology a more correct statement would be "the mission has a church."

Alan Hirsch

What is a ‘Missional Community’?

A missional theology is not content with mission being a church-based work. Rather, it applies to the whole life of every believer. Every disciple is to be an agent of the kingdom of God, and every disciple is to carry the mission of God into every sphere of life. We are all missionaries sent into a non-Christian culture.

Alan Hirsch

With Jesus, we’re sent.

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. (34)

The Jews threw the man out of the temple, and the Lord of the temple found him.

John Chrysostom

Without Jesus, we’re blind.

“What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (40 – 41)

The hard-line Pharisees stick to their principles at the cost of the evidence... They have constructed a system within which they will never see that they are wrong. It is one thing to be genuinely mistaken, and to be open to new evidence, new arguments, new insights. It is another to create a closed world, like a sealed room, into which no light, no fresh air, can come from outside.

Tom Wright, ‘John for Everyone’

Without Jesus, we’re afraid.

They were divided...(16)They hurled their insults at him... (28)‘As for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from...’ (29)‘What, are we blind too?’ (40)

Without Jesus, we’re afraid.

How he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. (21 – 22)

Without Jesus, we’re afraid.

But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.John 12: 42 - 43

Without Jesus, we’re afraid.

How he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. (21 – 22)

Literally the Pharisees ‘scolded him in a loud and abrasive manner’. If we are in any form of leadership we especially need to notice what is happening here. In any structure, the leaders will find people disagreeing with them. There is nothing basically wrong with this – unless we are dealing with a major doctrine, people are entitled to their opinion. The Pharisees were wrong to lose their temper.

Ian Barclay

Let’s ask ourselves…Are we expecting the works of

God to be displayed through our suffering?

Where is our ‘frontline’, where God has sent us to show those works?

Are we shutting ourselves off from new light from the Lord?