“Blind to the Truth” - John 9 - 3/7/04
Blind people have done some amazing things. During one of the recent Olympic games there were blind skiers. They trained going down hill along with a sighted skier who called to them when to turn right or left. There are blind men who have conquered steep mountain heights. Fanny Crosby wrote hundreds of hymns. Helen Keller became and inspiration and a voice to a whole nation. One of Helen Keller’s most famous quotes is also one of my favorites: She was once asked, “What could be worse than being blind?” To which she answered, “Being able to see, but having no vision.”
I think that is where many people are in our world today. We have physical sight, but we really don’t see correctly. We’re blind to the truth. We want to look at the miracle of Jesus healing the man born blind this morning. It’s found in the gospel of John, chapter 9, and we want to understand what it means for us to really see. The story goes something like this, if you’ll look up at the screen.
***Play video clip***
This morning I want to talk about 3 truths to having clear vision. The first of these is
I. We need to see people as they really are.
Some times when we are around others, we fail to see the truth about them. Here Jesus comes with his disciples, and they see a man born blind. Right away, the disciples make some quick judgments about him. First, the man is blind, but his is not deaf. It appears their discussion takes place right in front of the man. But they are talking about the man as if they could not hear.
Let’s learn to be sensitive in the presence of others who have special needs. If a person is blind, or handicapped, sick, or old - they still are capable of interaction. Let’s not isolate them.
**if Jazmin present, interview about blindness
Have you ever been to visit someone who is sick, and you ask the spouse how they are instead of asking the person? We tend to be blind to seeing people as they truly are.
A. Don’t presume sinful actions on the part of people.
It is easy for us to look at others and assume they are sinful. Sometimes we look at ourselves and think what WE might be doing if we were in their situation. We see the disciples instantly see the man and assume he must have sinned that he was born blind. Remember the story of the prodigal son - when the prodigal comes home the older brother accuses him of spending all his money on prostitutes, although that is never mentioned anywhere in the story. The older brother has probably stayed at home and dreamed how HE would have spent all the father’s money.
We so often hear the story of Lot, and we think Lot is this evil man who wanted to live in the city of Sodom. But when we look at 2 Peter 2:7 we read that Lot was a righteous man, “But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.”
Let’s be slow to assume sinfulness on the part of others. Sometimes we hear something about someone else, and we’re quick to believe it, even when there is no proof given. That is called GOSSIP and that is SIN. When someone comes to you with an accusation about someone else, stop the gossip in its tracks. Offer to go with that person and sit down with the person they are talking about and resolve the matter. Do not allow yourself to believe sinful accusations about someone else when there is no proof of the sinfulness.
We tend to jump to conclusions very quickly. When I was pastoring in Pennsylvania, I had passed out cards to the members of the board and asked them for prayer requests. I remember one man, Melvin Baker, had simply written on my card, “I need an interest in your prayers.” As I got the cards back and looked at them, I read his and thought, “Well look at that - he needs to be interested in having me pray for him.” I thought he didn’t want me to pray for him. However later when I had a chance to talk to Melvin I came to realize that that was a his phrasing to tell me, “I really need you to pray for me.” I had jumped to a conclusion, and it was a wrong one. Let’s not try to look at the heart motives of others. We can look at actions, but let’s let God be the one who looks at hearts.
B. Don’t presume God is judging others if they go through difficult times
It could be easy to assume that those who struggle in life are under God’s curse. But that is not true. Verse 3 reminds us that God uses difficult circumstances to show his power. We live in a fallen sinful world. Matthew 5:45 tells us God “gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too.
We have a friend in PA named Janell. Whenever she would come over, she would always think that God was out to get her. She’d say, “Pray I make it home okay. I haven’t been to church for two weeks, and I hope God doesn’t make my car break down.” But let’s realize that not everything bad that happens is a judgment from God.
In Fort Wayne there is a woman named Patty, who is seriously overweight. She often complains about back pain, and she’ll say “Satan is really attacking me today. My back is really hurting.” However if she’d lose 50 pounds she might find that her back would feel much better.
It’s easy to blame God or Satan or others for difficulties. Instead, let’s not focus on the reason for the problem coming, but let’s focus on the power of God to help us with the problem. Let’s not accuse others of God’s judgment, but let’s come alongside others and help them to find God’s strength to overcome.
Along with the idea that judgment does not signify God’s judgment, let’s also realize that we
C. Realize sometimes God blesses people in spite of their sin
It would be easy to justify actions -- even if they are wrong -- by saying “God must be blessing me.” But sometimes things go well in spite of sinfulness. God doesn’t always strike us down the first time we do something wrong. Sometimes we enjoy “the pleasures of sinfulness.”
It’s like the man who says, “The other day I prayed that if God wanted me to stop and get a dozen doughnuts then he needed to give me a parking spot in front of the doughnut store. Sure enough, the fifth time around the block, there was a spot open right in front of the store.”
Sometimes God does bless us, in spite of our sinfulness. It tells us in Romans 2:4 “Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?” God blesses us sometimes to give us time to change our ways.
We can also see that
D. We can worship in different ways, but still be united in Christ.
The Pharisees had a list of all kinds of rules and regulations. They said what a person could or couldn’t do on the sabbath. But Jesus didn’t follow their manmade rules. As a result, verse 16 tells us the Pharisees accused Jesus of not being from God. Let’s remember that others who worship in different ways, if they are worshiping biblically, worshiping Christ, can still be of God. Some people do foot washing. Some people baptize babies. Some people have no musical instruments in church. Some people raise their hands and say “hallelujah.” But we can still all be one in Christ.
Let’s not get caught up in tradition. Let’s not say, “we’ve never done it that way before.” Let’s not judge others by our own self-righteous traditions and ideas.
To be able to have clear vision, we need to be able to see others as they really are.
Take a moment to pause and ask yourself, “How have I been guilty of judging others?” Is there anyone you have been gossiping about? Is there anyone you have been accusing because of their different ways of worship? Is there anyone you have assumed has impure motives for right action? Let’s confess that to God and think good of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
PRAY - for God to give us pure motives in our hearts towards others.
To see clearly, we need to see others as they are. Also,
II. We need to see God as He truly is.
Here is a man born blind. He is an adult, of age to answer for himself before the Pharisees. Why would a loving God allow him to go through life blind when God has the power to heal him? There are many people who struggle with faith over this very question. If God is good, then why does he allow evil and hatred and sickness and pain in this world? Many times our faith is strong until WE have to go through a difficult time and we ask, how could God let this happen to ME?
There is a famous book called “Why bad things happen to good people.” It is written by a rabbi, Harold Kushner. I remember hearing many people talk about it, and then one day I was at the library and got a video of Kushner teaching about his book. In it he states that we look at evil in the world, and therefore we have to assume that either God is not good, to allow this evil, or that God is not all-powerful, to allow this evil to continue when he could stop it.
Kushner makes the assertion that God MUST be good, for anything else is unthinkable, therefore God must NOT be all-powerful. And I remember thinking, NO -- there is another possibility. God IS Good, and God IS all-powerful. But sometimes he chooses NOT to eliminate the pain and suffering from our lives. Sometimes he uses the difficult circumstances of our lives to cause us to grow stronger, to trust in him. Here in verse 3 we see that God had chosen to uses this man’s blindness as a way to show the power of God.
In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul writes about his sufferings and how God used them. He says, “But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God uses difficulties to help us to grow.
A. God is a compassionate healer - Sometimes we think that God doesn’t care about us. But as we look at the scriptures we see God healing BECAUSE OF His compassion. Matthew 14:14 - A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 20 - Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” . . . Jesus stopped in the road and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Mark 1:40 - A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you want to, you can make me well again,” he said. Moved with pity, Jesus touched him. “I want to,” he said. “Be healed!”
Over and over again in the scriptures we see that God cares for us. He is a doctor who treats us because he cares about us. Sometimes we have physicians who we know have little care whether we live or die. We are just another patient. Another name on a list. But sometimes we find doctors who truly care. When we were in PA we had a doctor like that. He always found time for us. He personally cared for us. He made house calls to check on us. Whatever kind of medicine we needed, he made sure we had. He had personal concern.
God is a compassionate healer who cares about our needs. When God doesn’t answer our prayers for help or healing we know it ISN’T because he doesn’t care. He has proven his love once for all by taking our sins upon himself when he died on the cross for us. If you’ve had a chance to view the “Passion of Christ” movie, you realize that all that Christ suffered on the cross, was done for us. In fact, the hand that Mel Gibson chooses to shoot putting the nail in Christ’s hand is actually HIS OWN, for he realizes that it was HIS sins that crucified Christ, just as it was yours and mine. God has proven his love for us.
So, why does God allow suffering. Yes, God is a compassionate healer, but also
B. God is a purposeful planner. Romans 8:28 reminds us “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” God has a purpose for what he does. God may allow us to suffer so that we can comfort others. Does God cause the suffering - NO. It is part of the fallen, sinful world we live in. But he allows it to come so we can learn to help others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 reminds us that God “comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
The areas of our greatest struggle can be the area of our greatest ministry. Those who have gone through great tragedy are able to provide great comfort to others. How will you let God use the pain and suffering of your life to be a blessing and encouragement to others?
Most of us know the name Joni Erickson Tada. Joni was crippled in a diving accident when she was young. As a result, she has spent years in a wheelchair, able to move only from the neck up. She paints with her mouth holding the brush, and she makes cards of encouragement for others. She has an international ministry of encouragement to others. She has a daily radio broadcast. She collect wheelchairs to send to those in other countries who could not afford them. God has used her to bless and encourage millions. God could heal her, but he has used her suffering to bless millions.
Let’s have a clear view of God today. God is a compassionate healer, a purposeful planner, C. God works uniquely in each circumstance. God does not have just one way of working. Let’s realize that God works in many ways. He puts on mud here, and brings healing when it is washed off. In some cases he lays on hands, sometimes he prays, other times he says the word and healing takes place miles away; Peter’s shadow passed over people and they were healed; handkerchiefs were taken from Paul and people were healed; a woman touches Jesus’ robe and she is healed. God works in many ways and always uniquely. There is not just one way of God’s working. We pray - and we should - but sometimes God heals instantly, sometimes he heals over time, sometimes he uses doctors and medicine, and sometimes he provides extra grace and chooses not to heal in this lifetime. Let’s not limit God’s working, but let’s look for him to work uniquely in whatever situation we are going through. Let’s have a right view of God. Thirdly this morning,
III. We need to see ourselves as we truly are.
Rich Mullins has a song “We are not as strong as we think we are.” And for many of us, that is very true. We like to think that we can tackle any problem that comes our way; we are invincible. But the truth is that it is only by God’s strength and grace that we can bear up to difficulty. With God’s help we CAN tackle anything; but on our own strength we will surely break.
We see the Pharisees in this passage questioning the righteousness of Jesus because he broke their concepts of the Sabbath. And God uses the healed blind man to remind them that God had done a miracle through Jesus. The Pharisees very indignant and say in verse 34, “You were born in sin!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.”
The Pharisees saw themselves as having all the answers, and when questioned, began to insult the man, casting judgment upon him, calling him a sinner because he had been blind. They were unteachable. Let’s not follow their example.
Let’s realize that sometimes God will use the most unlikely people to teach us. Sometimes it is a new Christian with such a simple faith that asks us why we don’t believe the way we should. Sometimes it’s a non-Christian who asks us a question that reminds us how we should be living. let’s be open to God teaching us from any source. God used a donkey to teach Balaam. In Acts 18 there was a brilliant scholar named Apollos who was teaching at Ephesus, but he was a little off on his theology. A couple named Priscilla and Aquila took him home for lunch and explained the scriptures to him.
Maybe you don’t have a degree behind your name or you’ve never been to college - you can still study the scriptures and be used to help others grow to become more like Christ. Maybe you think you have a good understanding of the Bible-- make sure you are always open to God teaching you new things, no matter what source he chooses to use to teach you.
Sometimes we don’t see ourselves clearly because we overlook the sin in our lives. We justify it, we explain it away, we say we aren’t hurting anyone. But we fail to see ourselves as God sees us. We are told to “confess” our sins. Confess literally means “to say the same thing”. We are to say the same thing about our sin as God says. Sometimes we fail to admit our sinfulness. We need to see ourselves as we truly are.
Concl: Jesus says in verse 5, “I am the light of the world.” In John 3:19 we read, “The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”
This morning, are you seeking to do what God wants? If so, are you willing to admit your sinfulness and turn from it? Are you willing to let God teach you, even through people you might not respect?
Are you willing to have faith in God even when he doesn’t work the way you think he should
Are you willing to not be biased towards others, and to not spread gossip, accusing others without cause?
May God help us each to have clear vision this morning.
Let’s pray together and praise him for how he is working in our lives today.
