Sermon Tone Analysis

/As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”/

/ //“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.

Night is coming, when no one can work.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”/

/Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent).

So the man went and washed, and came home seeing./

His parents had no modern technology to help them determine the nature of the problem.

They only knew that their son did not learn to smile as early as other babies did.

Furthermore, he did not seem to notice objects and movements about him and he was easily frightened by voices as well as by noises; he even jumped at a touch.

Then came the day they realised that he had been born blind and that there was nothing they could do.

Months turned into years and their son learned to cope with his sightless world.

His parents sought to ease the burden of their guilt … guilt which was continually exacerbated by thoughtless comments of those who knew their son.

The accusation arose within their own hearts – what terrible sin could they possibly have committed to cause this precious child to be born without sight?

If only they had … had what?

The question pressing endlessly on the heart of these sorrowing parents was always, “What will become of our son?”

There were no schools for the blind, nor were there even opportunities for the handicapped to be employed or to care for themselves.

Unless a blind person was born into a wealthy family that could provide care for him, his only option was to become a beggar – unwanted and helpless, surviving on the handouts of the more fortunate.

What a life their son had to look forward to all the days of his life!

He was aware at an early age that people regarded him with scorn, believing that he or his parents must be terrible sinners to have suffered this dreadful tragedy.

Then one ordinary day the extraordinary happened.

As he sat begging in his usual spot near the Temple, just as he had always done, he again heard the inevitable question.

Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

The blind man trembled as he heard these familiar words, but then he heard the man spit and stoop down to take the wet dirt into His hands.

Involuntarily he squinted as he felt the cool, wet mud pressed against his sightless eyes.

There it dried, forming a sort of dirty mask over his face.

Then he heard a stranger’s quiet, gentle voice commanding, Go wash in the pool of Siloam.

The blind man hesitated.

Was this some cruel joke being played out on his helpless condition?

Something in the voice seemed to elicit hope in the sightless man.

Perhaps it was the words which the stranger had spoken in response to the question.

/Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.

Night is coming, when no one can work.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world/.

The Pool of Siloam was a long way for him to go.

To reach the pool would mean negotiating the narrow, twisting streets of Jerusalem.

Should he go, groping his way past the houses, climbing slowly, awkwardly down the steps in vain hope that this might somehow help?

It was the Sabbath and therefore the crowds would not be there as on most other days.

There would be some people about, however, and they would see him and wonder what he was doing.

What if one of the Pharisees saw him or caught him at the water?

It was against the Sabbath Law to draw water.

Was it worth taking the risk just to obey the stranger’s command?

He had heard the conversation without seeing the speakers.

What was it that the stranger had said?

He had heard Him say that he had been born blind so that the glory of God might be displayed … *and not because of sin*.

He would go!  Slowly, ever so slowly, he made his way through the deserted streets toward the pool.

Once he fell, cutting his knees on the rough stones.

Whenever possible he clutched at the sides of houses or at courtyard walls.

At last he came to the pool.

Feeling carefully the stone side of the stairs he cautiously made his way down the steps.

Carefully, cautiously, ever fearful that a wrong step would send him plunging into the water, he reached the edge of the pool.

Down on his belly at the mercy of anyone who might come upon him he put out his cupped hands and splashed water on his face.

Again and again he took water from the pool until the dried, caked mud was moist and could be removed.

As the muddy water streamed down his face, he gasped in amazement!

He could see everything – pool, stone walls, blue sky!  *He could see*!

As his astonishment turned to understanding the former beggar leaped to his feet and half-stumbling in eagerness hurried to the stairs.

He raced through the streets, shouting for joy and in wonder at what had happened.

He could see!

He knew it was neither the mud nor the water, but it was the Man who caused this miracle.

Hearing his shouting people left their Sabbath duties to discover the source of the commotion.

He ran on, heedless of their stares and questioning looks until he reached the spot where he had been begging only a short time before.

He had to find that Man!

But the stranger was gone, and the other beggars knew nothing of His whereabouts.

Unable to find the Man, he turned to care for another matter.

Followed by those whom he had known as a blind beggar, he went to his family and friends, marvelling all the while at the sight of familiar streets and houses.

Not even his family could believe the change.

His neighbours, seeking an explanation brought him to the Pharisees, many of whom hated Jesus.

But the Pharisees could not accept the fact that Jesus had performed a miracle … especially not on the Sabbath.

These religious leaders were troubled and confused by the evidence before them.

Once consigned to being utterly disregarded, this man who was once blind demonstrated wit and intelligence by mocking these religious leaders for their unbelief.

His simple statement was *I don’t know who He is.

All I know is that once I was blind, but now I see*.

Then he proceeded to give the religious leaders a lesson in elementary theology which demonstrated that they were blind because of their stubborn refusal to believe.

Later, when this man did at last meet Jesus, he worshipped Him saying, /Lord, I believe/.

In these words he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.

That is the story recorded in the ninth chapter of John’s Gospel.

Though the story is ever so familiar, there is so very much within that account which should speak to us, instructing us and encouraging us in our own weaknesses and hurt.

Is there any purpose to my life?

When I hurt, does my pain matter to God?  When a Christian’s marriage dissolves, does God care?

When the doctor says the diagnosis is inoperable cancer, does God care?

When my joints throb, my head aches, and my eyes blur from pain, does God care?

When I am laid off at work and I no longer have the resources to care for my family, does my situation matter to God?  When the provisions I have made for the future are wiped out because of hasty decisions made in some distant capital, does it really make any difference to God?

If there is no purpose in pain, I am a pawn whose very existence is at the mercy of capricious elements; God is then distant and unconcerned with my situation.

If I am a Christian, however, I am compelled to conclude that there is purpose to my life … purpose even in the pain I experience.

Perhaps to discover this truth we could appeal to the words of Job, but there is in the New Testament this incident in which the Master rebuked His beloved disciples.

A man had suffered greatly and throughout long years.

When the disciples became aware of him they asked the almost inevitable question only to receive a lesson they could not have anticipated.

That answer which Jesus gave serves to encourage us, however.

That answer serves to ennoble our pain and to strengthen us in the midst of our grief.

Let’s explore the account that together we may discover purpose in pain.

*Handicaps – Their Varieties and Cause* — When speaking of handicaps our thinking is usually restricted to mankind.

In the racing world certain handicaps are offered.

The concept in that case speaks of an artificial advantage introduced by and dependent upon the interest of man.

The same could be said of any situation other than when applied directly to daily life.

There, the concept of a handicap is much more intimate.

A handicap affects an individual’s livelihood and ability to interact with others.

In a world of relative health and wholeness, how can an individual live with his or her handicap?