From Rocks To Retinas | John 9:1–8

Opening Remarks: John 9 is one of the more well-known miracles in Scripture. This text gives us the account of Jesus healing a blind man.

Like many of His miracles, it turns into a whole conversation and controversy. The first 7 verses are a simple summary of the man being healed, but the remaining 34 verses are the discourse about the miracle between the man, his friends, the Pharisees and his parents, and then Jesus comes in at the end and summarizes it all perfectly, as usual.

Our focus today will be less on the blind man and more on the Lord’s mindset as He navigates it all. We’ll look at the remainder of the chapter next time, which will actually be in a couple of weeks due to some interruptions we’ll have in the series.

So we’ll begin our reading in John 9:1 and read down through verse 7.

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TITLE: From Rocks To Retinas

One thing that becomes obvious if you read the Bible and observe the works of Jesus Christ is He never lost sight of His mission.

When He walked into the Temple and saw them taking advantage of each other, He saw what that did to the house of God and responded with righteous anger.

When His disciples wanted to get Galilee quickly, He wanted to go through Samaria because He had a divine appointment with a woman who would end up reaching many in her village for Christ.

When He walked by a lame man on the Sabbath day, He recognized that God wanted to work in the man’s life and He healed Him, in spite of the hatred He got from the Pharisees from doing it on the Sabbath.

And after that He spent about 30 verses telling them over and over:

“I do nothing of myself. My Father is leading my every move.”

“I don’t have my own agenda. My Father’s agenda decides for me.”

“Nothing I do is about me. It’s all about my Father.”

“I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)

Jesus never lost sight of His responsibility to represent and obey and do the will of God the Father every moment of His earthly ministry.

In other words, He never went off-mission. He always remembered His priority and responsibility to represent and obey His Father.

We see that happening right here in our text. Things pop up in Jesus path that could knock Him off course, but He’s so committed to mission that He refuses to take the bait.

The first example is actually found in the last two verses of John 8 (vs. 58-59)

Remember, Jesus has just finished a long discussion with the Pharisees about parentage. They claimed to be from God, following Abraham. But Jesus said, “Your works don’t look God or Abraham. You are hate-filled people who want me dead. You look more like a different father than God the Father.”

“But look at my life. I speak and act in a way you’d expect from a holy yet merciful God. I am all about My Father. I am offering Eternal Life. I am the fulfilment of every promise made to Abraham.”

“Before Abraham was, I am.”

And while we are saying, “Amen” to that, the Pharisees had a different response. Vs. 59 says “they took up stones to cast at him.”

Here’s one way Jesus could have gotten off mission.

I. Rocks

Few things would deter me from staying on mission like a group of dudes picking up stones to throw at my head.

Maybe that makes me a wimp. Maybe I need to set my priorities straight. But I can tell you this, Rocks can be dangerous.

I grew up throwing rocks. Rocks and I bonded. I grew up in Wyoming, so there was nothing to do except throw rocks. That’s literally what I did. We lived in a church house along I-80 in Evanston Wyoming and we literally lived under a massive billboard that advertised the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City. And the way the sign was designed, the angel Moroni stuck up above the sign at the very top.

So put two and two together. A gravel driveway full of rocks. A metal angel rising like a lone target on top of a billboard. I spent hours doing my duty living under the shadow of Mormonism.

I don’t condone that now, but as a kid, that’s what I did.

Rocks gave me a lot to do.

But rocks can also be dangerous. I remember throwing rocks in our driveway and it stuck in my hand a little longer than it should have and I busted a window in our minivan. My dad was right there when I did it. Any alibis or excuses were immediately gone.

We know how dangerous rocks are. So can you imagine picking up large stones that they were using to build and repair and restore the Temple with and aiming them at someone’s head?

They weren’t trying to make Jesus leave. They wanted Him dead.

And He does the wise thing. He goes through the midst of them, and passed by.

He’s God. He can escape any situation. This was no big deal for Him.

But for us this would have been traumatic. Can you imagine almost being killed?

What would you do next?

I’d be like, “I need some time, guys. Give me a couple of days to reconsider everything.”

But notice a play on words from the last verse of chapter 1 to the first verse of chapter 2.

He passed by the ones throwing rocks, and then passed by the one that had a need.

He didn’t take any time off. He just kept ministering.

Jesus never went off-mission.

There will be times when people throw rocks at you.

Throw Rocks At Your Stand

Family doesn’t understand

Co-Workers treat you differently

If we take our cues from Jesus Christ, we can’t allow the Rocks to get us off mission.

Throw Rocks At Your Standards

Following Christ should have an impact on the things you will or won’t do, the words you will or won’t say, the things you will or won’t wear, and the places you will or won’t go.

Sometimes rocks get thrown when a person is simply trying to be holy like God is holy.

It’s convicting to be around people with a higher standard. As long as there’s not a proud demeanor or Pharisaical spirit, don’t the let those rocks deter you from striving for holiness in the way the Spirit leads you to.

Throw Rocks At Your Testimony

There are times that being a Christian will put a target on your back.

Fair or not, it could be that you’re simply trying to be a committed disciple and because of it people question your character.

Defend your testimony and protect your name, but be careful not to sink to the level of rock throwing.

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Matthew 5:10–11 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”

The Lord is the best judge. Do right. Follow Christ. You answer to the Lord. When others throw rocks, resist the urge to answer in kind. God sees and will do what’s right in the end.

What did Jesus do when people threw rocks? He passed by them and then ministered to someone in need.

If He can ignore the Rocks like that being completely innocent, then we can ignore them as sinners.

1 Peter 2:21–23 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

Jesus Christ never got off-mission.

Rocks couldn’t get Him off track.

Look at what else He refused to get Him off track:

II. Debates

Notice what His disciples ask in vs. 2.

It’s almost as if the disciples are trying to impress the Lord with their deep theology.

“Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“We are deep and theological. We’d like to hear your angle on this super important topic.”

We can be that way. Overthinking. Overanalyzing. Creating a debate where there really isn’t one.

The disciples assume that this man or his parents were to blame for his condition. They are trying to attach blame to someone for his suffering.

And this happens all the time. Where this is excessive suffering, we assume there has been some kind of excessive sin.

But that’s not a Scriptural take.

Ask Abel, who was killed for doing right.

Ask Job, who suffered immensely and did no wrong to earn it.

Ask these very apostles, who were martyred for their faith simply for standing for God.

Ultimately, ask Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, but died on a cross for the sins of mankind.

Excessive suffering may not be attached to a specific sin. But, hear the difference, suffering is attached to the effects of sin in general.

There was no suffering until sin came.

It’s the result of sin. Sin is the cause of death and hardship, and disease.

This man was not blind because of his or his parents’ sin. He was blind because of the effects of sin in general.

Sometimes there’s no one to blame except for the consequences of living in a sin-filled world.

Sometimes there are no answers except that sin devastates everything it touches.

But the point Jesus makes is this: Not every account of excessive suffering means there has been excessive sin.

This man had certainly suffered more than most. But that doesn’t mean he had sinned more than most.

He was blind because he lived in a fallen world.

But it’s so interesting that the disciples see this man and think they need to debate, while Jesus looks at the man and sees that He needs help.

Let’s say we come across a car accident right after it happens. We stop and run up to one of the vehicles and someone in the front seat has hit their head on the windshield and is bleeding heavily. What’s the first thing you do?

Do you ask, “What were you thinking? Did you not see the red light?”

Do you say, “Oooh, you’re in big trouble. I saw you on your phone!”

Do you take a poll from all the witnesses and try to figure out who was at fault?

No. You see someone suffering and in need and you address their need. Grab cloth or a shirt. Apply pressured to the wound. Try to keep them for losing more blood. Comfort them. Talk to them. Make sure the paramedics are on the way.

Why? Because debates aren’t going to address the current and most pressing need.

The person is suffering and in pain and has a need that no one else can address.

Don’t let endless debates keep you from your mission.

It can happen. It’s easy to get distracted with questions there are no answers to.

Why is there suffering?

Where did evil come from?

When will Jesus return?

Those are all interesting questions and worthy of our study, but when you consider the need of those suffering all around us, it makes the debate topics far less urgent than souls dying every day.

I’m not saying that doctrine isn’t important. Our current Wednesday evening series will tell you that.

But there are some who’d rather debate than be faithful to the mission that God has entrusted us with, and we can’t get caught up in it.

There are a lot of rabbit holes to go down, but most of them will keep you from being a productive witness for Christ.

Careful of engaging in debates with people you can’t convince.

Careful of engaging in debates with people online.

Just be careful not to let endless questioning keep you off mission.

Paul talked about 2 Timothy about “words to no profit,” “profane and vain babblings,” to avoid “foolish and unlearned questions.”

What was Jesus’ response to this distraction from the mission?

Vs. 3 - “But that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

“Should be made manifest” means revealing something hidden.

Jesus says, “Ultimately, this man’s blindness exists so that the works of my Father can be revealed through his life.”

He was saying, “Whatever the root of the problem, just know that this man’s disability puts him in a position to fully display the glory and power of God the Father.”

“This man’s suffering, as hard as it is, has a purpose greater than he ever thought. His suffering can become something that puts on full display the compassion and mercy and healing power of God.”

So while some may have been deterred by those throwing Rocks.

And some may have gotten distracted by the Deep Debatable Questions, Jesus was thinking about God’s glory being impacted by a blind man being healed.

He was thinking about Rocks. He was thinking about Debates.

He was thinking about Retinas.

III. Retinas

“Pastor, don’t be silly.”

I’m not. Jesus was literally thinking about how healing the eyes of a blind man could reveal God’s glory in a way no one had ever seen in Israel.

There is no record of a blind person being healed in the rest of the Bible.

Thousands of years of history, and this might be the first instance of someone’s eyes being fixed so they could see.

Jesus was thinking about the man’s eyes and their condition and what healing them could do for His Father. How God’s glory could be impacted if this one man was healed.

And here’s how He acted in response to it:

A. With Urgency

Vs. 4 - He said, “We have so little time to make a difference.”

He only had a few years of public ministry. He had limited time on earth.

So He says, “I must work while it’s day.” As if to say, “I am here to work. Once I leave, I won’t physically be working here anymore.”

So He chooses to make the most of the opportunity that He has. While I’m here. While I can.

While we have health to do it.

While we have the finances to give to Missions.

While we have the freedom to tell others about Jesus.

While we are talking to this stranger in the store.

We must stop thinking about all the time we have left and recognize that night could come sooner than we think.

There will come a time when no more Gospel work can be done.

I’m afraid God’s people will regret not working when they had the opportunity.

Say something while you can.

Give while you can.

Serve while you can.

Because night is coming.

Jesus said, “I can physically heal a blind man, something no one has ever seen before. I’m going to do this while I can.”

We can’t heal physically blind people, but we can help the spiritually blind to see by working while it is day and giving the Gospel to the people around us.

He ignored the Rocks and the Debates, but how else did He respond?

B. With Identity

Vs. 5 - Jesus made it clear one chapter before that He’s the light of the world.

The world is dark in sin. Sin makes this is a dark and scary place.

And this man’s blindness was a picture of the darkness of sin.

It seems hopeless. Except for Light.

And Jesus is the Light. He helps sinners to see.

In John 8:12 He says, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

If you are spiritually in darkness today, Jesus Christ is your light of Hope.

You simply have to believe to remove the scales of blindness and see life clearly.

And we might say, “Yeah, but the light went off when Jesus went back to Heaven.”

Actually, there’s still light here. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14–16?

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Jesus left us, His disciples in their local churches all over the world, to be the Light for those around us.

That is our identity.

Stop thinking about the Rocks and the Debates.

Think about the Urgency and Identity of helping the blind to see.

How else did Jesus respond to the Rocks and Debates?

C. With Clarity

Vs. 6 - He makes a spit mud pie and puts it on the blind man’s eyes.

We might say, “Gross!” And maybe the blind man said the same thing.

But I believe it was a picture of the fact that we’re all just made of dirt anyway, and it doesn’t take much for God to heal. He can use the rawest from of material, if He choose.

He didn’t have to use anything, but I believe this made it more tangible than simply speaking.

So He gives a clear picture of the substance of man. Dirt.

Then He gives clear instructions.

Vs. 7 - There was no mistaking or confusing the instructions.

Jesus did His part. He did the dirty work.

All the man had to do was obey.

And he was healed.

If this isn’t a picture of salvation, I don’t know what is.

Jesus did the dirty work.

He went to the cross and was beaten and spit on and tortured and cut open and shamed and mocked. He did the hard part.

All we have to do is recognize our need of help and obey by believing.

Jesus made it clear.

Application:

First, if you’ve never been saved, the dirty work has been done. Jesus did it for you. But you, like this blind man, have to recognize your need and obey by believing.

Second, Christian, there is a world full of people in need with no light or hope.

And you’re trying to avoid the Rocks. Satan throws them, your friends sometimes, your family sometimes, co-workers, church members, strangers. Rocks get thrown.

And debates come at us. It’s easy to get off mission trying to answer questions there aren’t answer to.

But if we’re going to be like Jesus Christ, we must avoid the Rocks and ignore the Debates and pay attention to the Retinas. The eyes that need to see.

The pain that needs to be healed.

The suffering that needs to be comforted.

Why? So the works of God should be made manifest.

God’s glory is at stake.

And if we would get serious about working for Him while it is day, while we can. Not only will we impact the lives of the suffering. We can have a part in making manifest to the world the power and mercy and love of God the Father.

But we have to be light.

make manifest to