"The Truth Is Not Blind"

March 26 2017  John 9: 1-41

Since the beginning of time, humans have been trying to blame or qualify the presence of evil in our world by pointing a finger at someone’s sin, be it past or the present.  In Genesis 3 of the bible, we have heard it said that sin entered the world through temptation, maybe it was the snake, or was it the women Eve.  Why of course it was the women right MEN!  But wasn’t there an Adam, and how does he fit into the scenario.  Surely he too should take some responsibility for evil entering into the world?  In some religious circles today I might be considered balmiest for suggesting that God might have even set the these unsuspecting humans up with addition of giving them a choice, free will we call it.   May I suggest that in order to live fully human, God new we needed that addition of “The School of Hard Knocks” because wisdom, insight and learning do not come from living life on our terms, they come from the mistakes we make in doing so.  God new also that we would need more than just words to teach and guide us.  So God provided a New Testament for the Christian, a visible example to follow in the life and times of Jesus the Christ.

Now think about this for a moment folks.   It wasn’t until God said “YOU MUST NOT” eat of the tree in the middle of the garden that awakened curiosity, which by the way is the foundation on which the School of Hard Knocks is founded.   Couldn’t this be the moment when all our troubles actually began?  Now I ask you, what generally happens if a parent tells you, “YOU MUST NOT” do something.  I’m almost sure he or she will attempt to find a way they can.  Even if it gets them into trouble, right!   It seems strange that God would all of sudden bring to their attention a tree in the middle of the garden.   Surely Adam and Eve must have walked by this tree hundreds of time before and apparently without any special interest in it.   In fact the fruit on that tree apparently wasn’t even attractive, until God said “YOU MUST NOT EAT”.  Do you see what I am trying to illustrate here.  It’s not about SIN it’s about the lessons. I am also trying to illustrate that our attempts to assign blame or responsibility for my or others personal circumstances, kills the lesson that can set me free from my circumstances, otherwise I become a prisoner of my circumstances and learning nothing.  Let us remember that the Lenten season is a time for us to look inward to discover the truth about ourselves, it’s not about blaming God or your neighbor for your lot in life and blame will not teach you a better way of living.  Crap happens! Especially if I am not paying attention.  You probably had, as I did, a good elementary school teacher who told you that, but didn’t listen either. Now if you didn't chuckle at that you probably won't get much from the rest of this article. 

In our reading today about “the man born blind”, the disciples ask Jesus this question, “Rabbi who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind”.   In other words his disciples believed that this man blindness was punishment for some committed sin, it could have been the sin of an ancestor, a parent or some sin he possibly committed himself.  Jesus’ answer must have shocked them and challenged this belief and the religious teaching of the time, because sin was, and still is today for some at the core of their biblical teaching,  Genesis 3.   Many people today still believe that people who are afflicted with some disease, addiction or death are being punished as they deserve because of some sin in their past or it has coming down the genetic line from someone within their family.   Genetic  mapping may prove some of this to be true but “punishment as deserved” by an unconditional loving parent, questionable to say the least.  I think the saying “we are our own worst enemy” might be more to the truth. 

What is Jesus’ reply, John 9: 3 {GNT} “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents' sin. He is blind so that God's power might be seen at work in him.  Does not the apostle Paul tell us that it was in his weakness that God power would be manifested? So then, if I  become preoccupied looking for someone to blame for where, who or what is happing in my life, I will never clearly see the works God does in and through me, which are not confined or tethered to sin or circumstances. Nor will I begin to learn the lessons in how to really live.  Why, because it is both in the valleys and on the mountain tops of living that the God’s handiworks are revealed.  At this very moment Jesus is offering to heal the brokenness of your world and your life, to heal your losses, or help you transcend your personal circumstances.   I believe Jesus was trying to show his disciples and us that, this kind of preoccupation with others and their sins can delay or stunt, yes, even prevent us from living the good life as He reveals it to us.  

John goes on in the story to show us how this preoccupation with sin, religion, religious doctrine, ritual , personal predigest, self preservation and fear can impair people, no matter how educated they may be, from seeing or even wanting to see the truth about the world around them and THE TRUTH ABOUT ONESELF.    

The community fails to recognize the blind man.  This is a small community and this man was blind from birth, lets face it folks, everyone would know who this blind man was.   Why would they refuse to identify him right away?  It would appear that fear plays a major part here.  For anyone to up hold or acknowledge the truth about Jesus as the healer might upset the religious rulers and the authorities of the day so they choose to protect themselves by denial.  Denial is another one of the deceptions that keep us in bondage and stop us from learning how to really live.  Denial keeps the addict addicted but it can also keep his or her partner or family in bondage if they also refuse to acknowledge their addiction to enabling the behavior.  Denial is a major stumbling block to right living as this illustration so classically shows us.     

Here the religious authorities who would be responsible for spiritual training failed both community and the man.  Instead of rejoicing in celebration of his healing they accused him of lying about his blindness.  They know he was born blind yet refuse to admit to it, and then they accuse him of becoming a disciple of this despised prophet, the one they call Jesus.   Even the blind mans parents out of the fear of being banned from the synagogue failed him, saying “don’t ask us, ask him he is of age, he can speak for himself”.   The only trust worthy figures in this story are the blind man and Jesus.   The man insists on telling the whole truth about himself, even in the face of threats, abandonment and expulsion from his religion and the synagogue, he truly is the only one in his community that is free.    “I was blind but now I see.”  Again and Again and again he witnesses to that truth.  Jesus tells the truth as the works of God are revealed in him for all who have the eyes to see, yet none of them see.   Now I ask you, who is really blind here?    The question that comes to my mind today is this.  How much truth am I willing to share with my God about myself in order to begin living as I am called to live?  You see the real lesson is it not about believing this story as fact.  It’s all about learning the lessons that this story can teach me, so I can begin to really live.     

I don’t know if you noticed or not but no one except the blind man and Jesus are experiencing the great joy of living with the truth.  And because he never gave in to denial, in verses 35 to 38 the young man finally realizes who Jesus is for him in verses 35 to 38 .  So I ask ”Who is Jesus for you”?