Testifying to Personal Experience

Sermon #253 Lent 4 Year A 2017

Sermon #253 Lent 4 Year A 2017

Text: John 9:1-41

Title: Jesus and the Man Born Blind: Testifying to Personal Experience

CONTEXT

Jesus is in Jerusalem.

Fame as a teacher and a healer is immense among the people. But the religious leadership, here represented by the Pharisees, clergy of the day, are skeptical and hostile.

Another lengthy reading...

TEXT John 9:1–41 (NLT)

1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! 8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” 10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” 12 “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. 13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” 18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” 26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” 27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” 30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” 34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. 35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

INTRODUCTION

“Blind but now I see” lyrics from Amazing Grace, taken from this lesson.

John Newton - the 18 thc author of that hymn - describes his time before knowing Christ as blindness. His time after coming to faith has having sight.

The opposite in many ways of how people think of faith today. I don’t believe in Jesus, because I can’t have blind faith. I see now, I don’t want to be blind.

Biblical experience - experience of Christians - is that faith is not a step into the blindness, but into the light.

ANCIENT PROBLEM - Unwillingness to accept the testimony of Cedonius

That’s the experience of Cedonius - traditional name of the man born blind.

Congenital defect. Had never seen. This was a physical problem.

But it is not the problem of the story.

The man was blind. Jesus saw him, had compassion, gave him sight. To be a seeing person, functional person, no longer a begger. No problem. A good thing.

The problem of the story was how people around Cedonius responded to the solution.

And people around him don’t know what to make of it.

V. 8 the neighbors and others (the town) who knew him as the blind beggar, said isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?

EVEN THOUGH He himself kept saying, I am the man. I’ve been healed. I was blind, but now I can see. He tells them the story of Jesus and the mud and the healing. Gives a full account.

They can’t believe it. They can’t make sense of the data. They can’t believe their eyes. It doesn’t fit into the scheme of reality -- miracles don’t happen. Not here, not among us, not to this man, not today, not here and now. Must be some other man, must be some other explanation…?

So they take him to the elders. The Pharisees. Run through the story again 2X.

Pharisees believe in miracles, doctrinally speaking, but there’s a problem with this one: attributed to Jesus. The minute they find out Jesus was the wonder worker, they aren’t having any of it.

They hardly even register the miracle.

V. 16. The man is standing before them, healed, tells them the whole story and their response is: This Jesus is not from God.

Man was probably bewildered...he can see, but it is like the miracle is invisible to everyone else!

The parents are pulled in; they corroborate. He was blind. Now he sees. Something has happened! He’s a grown man (credible witness) ask him!

They call the man in again, with an offer to change his story: Give glory to God - NOT TO JESUS. Tell us a 3X, leave out the Jesus part. Cedonius unwilling to do that.

The real problem of this story is not physical blindness. It is spiritual blindness. The inability to have faith, the unwillingness to respond to evidence that should appeal to the spirit.

So instead of inviting Jesus to teach, exploring,..they cast Cedonius out.

CURRENT PROBLEM - spiritual blindness

Cedonius a picture of our own experience as Christians. We’ve all experienced something wonderful in Christ.

I was blind but now I see...of John Newton. Was a slave trader, became a minister. Christ re-defined who he was.

I was blind but now I see, of Jason Hefner. I find that Jesus is constantly redefining who I am. Better and better, deeper versions. Constantly enabling me to see where previously I was blind.

Spiritual experience shaping all my experiences. So real to me. Sacred. Most important thing

But my good news is treated like bad news. The “leaders” of culture say

This Jesus is not from God.

That you were in sin...but now forgiven

In the dark, but now in the light

That there is judgement, but now you experience grace

That there is hell, but the way to heaven is open

We see clearly, We will not believe these things.

If you insist on believing in Jesus, we don’t want you around

Alan Schlemon, 2014, “Is Faith Blind?”

Atheism’s hero, Richard Dawkins, ... writes, “Faith (religious belief - especially Christian faith) is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”*

Yet for me, faith is exactly the opposite. Faith is processing...my spiritual experience. It is accepting the experience of Jesus around me. Not a cop-out, but a buy-in. Not an excuse, but an exploration.

Spiritual blindness is a problem today. Who is really blind? Those of us who have experience the saving power of Jesus?

HINGE

Jesus said, “I have come that the blind may see and the seeing may be blind.

ANCIENT SOLUTION

This is proven true in the case of Cedonius.

He is kicked out of the synagogue, a severe social punishment. Which he bravely accepts.

The synagogue is left behind, but the story of Cedonius continues.

Jesus seeks him out.

Cedonius had not yet seen Jesus with his eyes. He knew it was Jesus that he had healed him, but Jesus had sent him to wash and regain his sight and had been elsewhere when Cedonius received his vision. So he had not yet seen Jesus.

So Jesus seek him out. Whereas Cedonius supposed Jesus to be righteous, a prophet. Jesus introduces himself on a deeper level.

Do you believe in the Son of Man? Do you believe in the Messiah?

Conversation, eye to eye. Who is he? I want to believe. Face to face, direct question.

I want to believe: Jesus says, You have seen him -- Your are looking at him right now, talking to him right now!

To whom much has been given, more will be given. Cedonius had benn given physical sight, and managed it well

So now Jesus gives him spiritual sight.

Cedonius falls before Jesus and worships. Worships. “To feel and to show the reverence and adoration due to a deity.” Give to jesus that which is reserved for God.

Tradition says that this worshipful relationship endured. Cedonius continued to give his testimony for the rest of his life.

Luke 10 tells the story of jesus sending out 72 disciples ahead of him into towns where he would later come. Cedonius one of them. What a testimony he offered...especially to the other blind men he would find in the towns!

And the blind believed, the physically blind, those who had other infirmtities,

Cedonius later serves as Bishop of Aix, Provence, France. Where also he is buried. Became a church leader. Kicked out of the synagogue, but from the pulpit: I was blind but now I see! All who were willing were comforted.

CURRENT SOLUTION

Each of us has experienced the power of Jesus to bring sight where previously there was blindness.

Each of us has a testimony to share. It is a powerful story.

If you have come to believe in truth, and now can encourage others in the word of God, that is powerful.

If you have been forgiven of sin, and now have compassion on others, that is powerful.

If you have hope in heaven above, so you do not despair in the pains of this world, that is powerful.

If you believe you are a child of God and can look on these others as your brothers and sisters, powerful.

Not complicated. Not an argument. A testimony: an affirmation of experience.

Cedonius’ testimony was not complicated. I was blind. Now I see. Jesus did it. And that changed people. Response: I can be healed too.

John Newton’s testimony not complicated. “Two things I know. I am great Sinner and Jesus is a great Savior.” And that message -- embodied in an actual person -- changed people...there is mercy for me too.

Think of your testimony. Simple, powerful, and above all, personal:

I was trapped in this...Christ set me free. You are the embodiment, the factual data, that Jesus is Savior: Response: There is freedom for me too...

I was afraid of this...now I have trust. Response: Jesus is Lord.

I was lost...now I’m found. Response: Jesus is the Way...

People are looking for something real. Experience. You/we have that experience. You/we are real person with a real relationship with Jesus. So your testimony is powerful.

Christ wants to use that experience to help other people, just as he helped us.

Now is the time share it.

Billy Graham told the story of Billy Bray, a saintly minister of another generation, who sat by the bedside of a dying friend who had been timid and reluctant to witness for Christ. The dying man said, “If I had the power I’d shout glory to God.” Whereupon Pastor Bray replied: “It’s a pity you didn’t shout glory when you had the power.” -- “Night comes, when no one can work” (John 9:4)

CONCLUSION

Biblical experience - experience of Christians - is that faith is not a step into the blindness, but into the light. That’s what we want to share with the world.

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

God our faithful Shepherd, we depend on you for everything we need: for daily food, for guidance and protection, for healing in injury and comfort in sorrow. You respond in abundant provision. Thank you for your tender care of us. Thank you for soothing the wounds of this life. Thank you that in the presence of enemies, especially the last enemy of death, you are with us, as Shepherd, Host, Home. Knowing your faithfulness in our lives, we bring before you the lives of others, the cares of this world, entrusting all things to your goodness and mercy. Bring healing to those who are ill in mind, body, or spirit. Bring release to those who are held captive by old hurts or new bonds that oppress and entangle. Bring freedom to those unjustly accused, relief to those burdened with debt, comfort to all who suffer from abuse of any kind. We pray for people living precariously in the midst of war. Protect, we pray, citizens and soldiers alike, and teach us to put away our weapons, taking up instead words of peace and reconciliation. By the power at work in Christ, break down the walls of hostility we build so that we may learn to live together graciously. We remember those living in the midst of drought and famine. We pray for rain to fall and crops to grow, and for generosity to overflow from our own hands and resources, until all your children receive their daily bread; until all your children have clean water to drink; until all your children have adequate shelter and medical care. Compel us to be better stewards of creation so that our habitation is sustainable and responsible. Loving God, help us to see the world as you see it; to see others as you see them; and to see ourselves rightly, too. Because you have come into this world for judgment, we can leave our judgments behind. Pursue us all with your goodness and faithful love until goodness and faithful love fills every heart and informs every action. We pray these things in the name of the one who came that we might see, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.