From Sight to Insight

March 19 4th Sunday of Lent Text: John 9:1-41 Theme: From sight to insight Big Idea: The darkness of the man born blind and the ignorance of the religious leaders is a potent image of the condition of people inside and outside the church. Notes: The once-blind man now “sees,” whereas some with physical sight are blind (9:41; cf. 8:24). As the man gains his sight, he also gains greater insight into Jesus’ identity: sight becomes a figure for the insight that perceives the significance of what Jesus has done and who he is.

Introduction

Last week, we read John 4 about the woman at the well and her conversation with Jesus. And I couldn’t help but feel compassion for her lack of faith and her initial misreading of Jesus.

‌Her upbringing and exposure to centuries of racial-ethnic conflict between Jews and Samaritans conditioned her to despise and reject Jewish people.

And yet, despite her social context, her fundamental problem was spiritually blindness. I will say more about spiritual blindness in a moment.

‌But once Jesus revealed himself to her, she confessed her faith in him as Messiah, her spiritual eyes were opened, and literally ran back to her people to share her story---many people believed in Jesus as Savior of the world because of her story.

‌In contrast to the Woman at the Well (an outsider), today’s reading spotlights insiders, people of faith, people who claim to know the truth, and yet, are blind, and like the woman at the well, they misread Jesus.

‌Today’s reading reminds us that there are two modes of seeing:

‌Physical sight and spiritual sight, or seeing with the eyes of the heart. Both ways of seeing are on full display in John 9.

‌Because of congenital blindness, this man never saw the face of his mother or father, the sun, the moon, or the stars. Everything around him was shrouded in darkness. He was physically blind. His only path forward in life was to be a street beggar.

‌His neighbors, his parents, and the religious scholars have eyes to see and yet are blind to the realities of faith and the nature of God’s power.

‌One hazard of being part of a religious community is confusing religious affiliation and church membership with a relationship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The two are not the same.

‌As the late song writer Keith Green used to say—being in McDonald’s doesn’t make one a hamburger, anymore than being in church makes one a follower of Jesus.

‌An example of the hazards of religion is the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the scholars and religious leaders in Jesus’ time. They were skeptical of the blind man’s healing and refused to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Even when confronted with evidence of Jesus’ power, they refused to believe that he was sent from God because he healed the man on the Sabbath Day. In fact, they called Jesus a sinner for healing on the Sabbath.

‌Which is worse? Physical blindness, or spiritual blindness?

‌Fanny Crosby was one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of Christianity. She wrote over 9,000 spiritual songs.

At six weeks of age, fanny Crosby, through a medical error, lost the ability to see in both eyes. But even though deprived of the ability to see, she could still visualize the beauty of Christ’s blessings, often with more clarity than those who had sight. If you listen to some of her hymns, this visually impaired lady wrote about seeing the Lord. You know these hymns:

(Blessed Assurance) ‌“Visions of rapture now burst on my sight”

(Blessed Assurance) ‌“Watching and waiting, looking above”

(In the Cross) ‌“Near the cross I’ll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever”

(To God be the Glory). ‌“But purer and higher and greater will be, our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.”

‌Fanny never received her sight in this life, and yet she saw the realities of God more clearly than most of us.

‌The healing

‌Carefully review the story and you notice that the blind man never asked Jesus to help him. He was a beggar sitting by the road and Jesus saw him and made a mud paste with his spittle, smeared it over the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.

‌After washing, he received his sight, but he never saw Jesus. When people asked him, “Who healed your eyes?” He could only say 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.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know. Jn 9:11–12.

‌The Pharisees and the blind man’s neighbors can see the natural world but are spiritually blind to who Jesus is.

‌They suffered from spiritual blindness. In fact, the story of the blind man is a metaphor for spiritual blindness.

‌What is spiritual blindness?

‌Spiritual blindness describes a person who cannot see or understand spiritual truth or reality.

‌It is a condition in which a person is unaware or unconcerned about the deeper meaning and purpose of life, and cannot perceive or understand the things of God.

‌Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Co 2:14. If this is where you are, Jesus wants to open the eyes of your heart.

‌With spiritual blindness, one reads the bible, and it makes little sense; it seems like nonsense.

‌Spiritual blindness can manifest in different ways, such as a lack of faith, a closed-mindedness to spiritual matters, a lack of spiritual discernment, or a focus on materialism and worldly pursuits to the exclusion of pursuing God.

‌Spiritual blindness prevents a person from experiencing the fullness of life and the peace that comes from a relationship with God.

‌In the Bible, spiritual blindness is often used as a metaphor to describe those who are lost or have strayed from God’s path, or those who are resistant to the truth of God’s word.

‌How is spiritual blindness removed?

‌The short answer: Christ shines his light into our hearts so that we see.

We cannot remove our spiritual blindness. Here’s why! In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Co 4:4.

‌Think about this for a second. The mission of the god of this world, or Satan, is to keep you in the dark so that you will never see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

‌Requires a willingness to open oneself up to Jesus and ask him to become the leader of your life. Here are some ways to overcome spiritual blindness:

‌Seek God: The first step to overcoming spiritual blindness is to seek God with an open heart and a willingness to learn. This involves developing a regular practice of prayer, reading the Bible, attending church, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

‌The connection between “sin” and “sight” shows that the true sinners are those who cannot perceive God’s work of giving light in darkness through the work of Jesus

‌Humility: Humility is essential in overcoming spiritual blindness. It involves acknowledging one’s limitations and recognizing the need for God’s help and guidance in understanding spiritual truth.

‌Repentance: Repentance involves turning away from sin and seeking forgiveness from God. It is an essential step in opening oneself up to spiritual truth and experiencing a closer relationship with God.

‌When Jesus asks the healed man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” he moves the man from confessing things about him (that he is a prophet, from God, the Messiah) to believing in him, to believing in this man who stands before him now. The healed man expresses his belief visibly and audibly: he kneels before Jesus in reverence or worship as he utters his confession, “I believe, Lord.” The man thus completes his confession of and identification with Jesus (cf. 11:27, 32; 20:28).

‌The Pharisees claim to see the truth about the law, the Sabbath, and Jesus and to understand these things rightly, but since they do not believe that Jesus has done the work of God, that he has come from God and is not a sinner, they are actually blind. Their sin remains. The blind gain their sight, but those who claim to see are judged to be blind.

‌Fellowship with other believers: Fellowship with other believers can help to provide support, encouragement, and accountability in the spiritual journey.

‌Openness: Being open to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences can help to break down the walls of spiritual blindness and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

‌By actively pursuing these practices, one can overcome spiritual blindness and develop a deeper understanding of God and His ways.

‌Conclusion

‌In the end, what does it mean to see? John 9:41 ends on a dismal note: Jesus said to the Pharisees, “If you were to admit that you are blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

‌In the church, there have always been (and continue to be today) those from within our ranks who reject Jesus. They comprehend the fundamentals of the traditional religion, and yet they say no.

‌No, to the authority of Scripture, no the Lordship of Jesus over their lives. No to the call to forgive their enemies. No to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to confess a certain sin. How is it possible that a person who claims to believe lacks insight about their lives and resists the gift of God? That’s the peril of spiritual blindness.

‌Let’s close our time with prayer from a familiar song.

‌Open my eyes Lord. We want to see Jesus to reach out and touch him and say that we love him. Open our ears Lord and help us to listen, open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus. Can you sing that with me as a closing prayer?