Mud Pies

Scripture

John 9:1–12 NLT

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “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. 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. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! 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?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 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!” “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied.

Introduction

This is the sixth sign, leading up to the raising of Lazarus next week the ultimate sign, Jesus’ power over death. There is a lot here this morning so let’s just right to setting this text in context.

Context

Last week Jesus fed the 5000 and walked on the water, signs 4 and 5. We left him in Capernaum preaching to the folks that wanted a free meal. Based on what he preached we learned that

John 6:66 NRSV

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.

John 6:66

Many people have left him and now we will see that he is getting in more and more trouble with the religious authorities.

John says after this event Jesus continued traveling about in Galilee avoiding Judea because the “Jewish leaders were plotting his death.” The time of the festival of Booths was near and Jesus’ brothers invited him to travel with them to Jerusalem for the festival. John notes that his brothers didn’t even believe him. But Jesus goes anyway in secret. “the Jews” were looking for him and John tells us that Jesus is very controversial among the crowds.

Jesus then goes public teaching in the temple and his teaching amazed everyone. This causes even more controversy as some boldly claimed he was the Christ while others claimed he was a devil. They authorities tried to arrest him, but somehow he avoids it. As this controversy goes on, John inserts the story of the woman caught in adultery.

John returns to the main story and creates even more attention both good and bad when he claims to be the light of the world, foretells his death, and claims he is a river of living water as the priests bring water from Siloam for an important water libation ritual during the feast. He continues to argue with the pharisees and scribes. This section ends with the people trying to stone Jesus at the temple but he escapes.

Exegesis

This brings us to our text this morning. it is tied to the previous section by the Pool of Siloam and Jesus once again claiming to be the light of the world. So we don’t know if this takes place after the Festival or during, but that is really not important. What we can see is that it is still in Jerusalem and that is important.

John says Jesus was walking along and the Blind man catches his eye. The Disciples ask a theological question (this sign is full of theology and symbolism!). They ask this question about bad things only happening to bad people. The basis for this was the desire to avoid making God responsible for afflicting suffering on the innocent. In other words its a question of theodicy, or how can a good God allow evil.

Jesus explains that sin has nothing to do with this. In other words, this man’s behavior nor God is responsible for him being born blind.

John 9:3 NLT

“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.

JOhn 9:3

Now the second part of this verse is problematic also. On a cursory reading it seems as if God brought on this man’s blindness just so God can be glorified in his healing. In fact this is not an explanation for this man’s blindness from birth, but an explanation is that God’s work will be displayed because he is blind. God had not made the man blind in order to show his glory; rather, God has sent Jesus to do works of healing in order to show his glory.

You have to take verse 3 in context with verse 4. Jesus includes the disciples in his work in verse 4

John 9:4 NLT

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.

The darkness is coming, that is the hour of Jesus death, resurrection and ascension. The have to work while the light is with them.

Jesus the uses his spit to make mud pies that he rubs on the eyes. This was a common trick used by magicians in the day. Many believed that saliva had healing properties. In fact it is even mentioned in the Talmud based on birth order. In other words the first born son’s saliva had healing properties.

So the blind man, who did not ask to be healed, nor did Jesus ask him, is sent by the one sent by God to the pool named sent. Where he washes and discovers that he can see. We have no idea when the healing took place. Although Jesus’ other healings were instantaneous.

When others discover that the man that was born blind now has his vision controversy results. Jesus healed him on the Sabbath and broke sabbath law by kneading, that is making the mud pies. The following verses contain argument among the authorities, the man, his neighbors, and parents.

Jesus finds the man and the blind man is converted he believes. then we read

John 9:39–41 NRSV

Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

John 9:39

We started with sin in the blind man which Jesus claims wasn’t the cause but he accuses the authorities of sin!

Application

So, now the question is what does this mean for us? Let’s spend a few minutes on what this would have meant to John’s audience. And we need to start with a few verses we did not read:

John 9:26–34 NLT

“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “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?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

:26-

The last verse is what is important, they threw him out of the synagogue. This is what has happened to John’s readers, his community. We have talked about the persecution they were undergoing. here is a prayer that the Jewish people said after the destruction of the temple (this is not prayed any longer)

“For the apostates let there be no hope and let the arrogant government be speedily uprooted in our days. Let the Nazarenes [Christians] and the Minim [heretics] be destroyed in a moment and let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be inscribed together with the righteous. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who humblest the proud!”

John’s audience would have heard this as an apologetic against the leaders of the synagogue, and buy doing so he sets up a series of choices.

Light versus darkness

Blindness versus seeing

Believing and Not beliveng

Moses versus Jesus

The blind man is an example of conversion, being in the light, seeing, and believing in Jesus. he’s in. Those that don’t believe are blind, in darkness, and have chosen Moses over Jesus. For John sin is not behavior, but not believing in Jesus.

For John the day of judgment has already come as jesus says in verse 39. The day of the coming Kingdom has come in Jesus, and we judge ourselves by our choices.

As one commentator writes about this passage:

So let description of the before and after be the thing. Once I saw the world like this; now I see it like this. Once I believed this; now I believe this. Once I lived in a place that I now see was blind to certain things. Now my eyes are opened, and here is what I see and know! These are the stories the church needs to hear.

So this brings us to today. We have to make a choice and the blind man has become a model of choice. He once was blind but now he sees. John has written this story to have his audience make a choice. Are we going to do the work with Jesus or is it goin to be all about us? Are we with the blind man or the religious leaders?

Jesus, once again, is the giver of life. This blind man has been made whole. Are we in the business of doing the same? We see the power of conversion here. We see what Jesus can do to transform lives and circumstances and he calls us to be his partner in verse 4 and we must be quick about it. Could it be that disciples that aren’t doing this, that churches that aren’t doing this are spiritually blind? Are caught in the darkness?

When Ali was 4 or 5 years old, she and her best friend were playing in the mud at the side of our house. The neighbors toddler was standing in their bay window and staring at Ali and her friend.

So what do you do with mud, a staring toddler and a window. Of course you make mud pies and throw them at the window. They made mud pies in their plastic shovels, called them Poo Poo platters and fired them at the window. Needless to say the toddler thought this was hilarious and he harder she laughed the more mud pies were shot at the window. That is until Mike the toddlers dad came out. Needless to say their fun ended abruptly.

We have a choice, we can throw mud on people like the elitist religious leaders kicking them out of the church or not welcoming them and calling them sinners, or can our eyes be opened, can we be in the light, and use the mud for healing and wholeness?

The world throws mud on those that do not look or act like us? Can we be the pool of Siloam? The ones sent for transformation and wholeness. This is the choice John presents us with this morning. No, this is the choice Jesus presents us with this morning. How do we avoid being spiritually blind? We love like Jesus loves, we see like Jesus sees, we let him be the light of the world.