All I Wanted Was A Haircut

For whatever reason, this verse is the crux of our problem this morning. Blind from birth. If he had only been born “normal”, there wouldn’t be a story to tell. But he wsa born blind… from birth.

We know what this means… he couldn’t see.

John 9:2 ESV

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

It is indeed a fact that they felt that present disability was connected to previous sin. One need only remember what they say at the end of the story to this very man to see how entrenched they were in that thought. See vs. 34

John 9:34 ESV

34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

Before you eradicate that thought from your mind, realize that many today believe that very thing without any reason… but fairness. It’s actually comfortable to believe that if you are healthy and well it’s because of how you lived- and if things aren’t so good then there must be some secret sin somewhere that got you into the condition you are in.

There seems to be in their minds, this connection between sin and sickness. In fact it was prompted by a total misunderstanding of many things.

The question they asked, was based on a principle stated boldly in the law.... Exodus 34.7

Exodus 34:7 ESV

7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

They took this to mean that somebody sinned against God… his parents, his grandparents… in fact,they thought, this man may have sinned in his mother’s womb or as an embryo or in some preexistent state. (this idea appears in rabbinical writings.)

And so Jesus refuses either idea… listen to what he says...

John 9:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Please, don’t jump to the conclusion that you could easily jump to. Every ill person, every physically or mentally challenged person, born in their state- was born that way because God needed someone to practice his healing power on. That’s not what Jesus is saying.

Jesus is acknowledging the chaos of this man’s situation, of his life- but he’s also acknowledging that the chaos and sin of this world is the raw material out of which God can do some of his best work in creation.

John 9:4 ESV

4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Remember how JOhn began his gospel just 8 chapters back… the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness couldnot comprehend it. It’s revealing itself right here… It’s shining and showing itself right here.

For Jesus, the hostility around him let him know that the darkness was coming in on him from all directions. As the beginning of his career dawned- the light shined out- and the enemy and the darkness were now doing all they could to destroy that light.

And as much as Jesus worked in the knowledge of light and darkness- the coming cross… we all work in the knowledge of our coming death. Adn so, Jesus includes his disciples (and I believe you and I) in this concept.... WE must work the works while we can!

John 9:5 ESV

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

As long as WE are in the world, we are the light of the world.

John 9:6 ESV

6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud

Please pay attentiong to this verse… Jesus is not healing- He’s creating. He took clay… It parallells Genesis 2.7

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

And more than creating, He is being compassionate. His hand touched the man.

Oh, you don’t see it?

The pharisees there understood this blind man to be a sinner- which was worse than anything they could imagine… They would never touch him.

Imagine the touch of a warm human hand after years of not being touched.

Think Covid in the beginning.

Think Aids in the 80’s.

Think Magic Johnson and sweat and player who didn’t want to play with him.

Get it?

John 9:7 ESV

7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

John 9:8–9 ESV

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”

I leave this verse, and this story at this verse, only so you can see the response of someone truly changed by the Master’s touch...... The neighbors said “Is it Him?”

Imagine the Pharisees response… He did this on the sabbath… and Jesus is a sinner, he must be possessed by the devil to do anything. REad on to see the Pharisees response (don’t get involved).

And finally the blind man’s response....It is me.

Expect that if Jesus truly touches someone, the world won’t know what to do with that.

the question will be, “Is this the same person?” Can someone who used to (fill in the blank) become a truthful and whole human ?

The answer is yes.

Remember, at the tomb Mary thought Jesus to be a gardener...

Remember, following the resurrection, the disciples didn’t believe that a dead person could live.

Remember, following the resurrection, some disciples wouldn’t believe unless they could touch.

And remember, on the Emmaus road, those disciples walked a long time before Jesus’ resurrection identity had to be revealed to them by him because they didn’t see it coming.

And so , their question was actually, “Is this really Jesus”? And the answer is “yes”.

And for many, the question is “Does new creation happen? Does God transform lives? Does God give sight to the blind?”

And the answer is still yes.

But remember, the question that will come to our minds next is the very one the disciples asked that day.

How? How did this man become blind… his sin or his parents’ sin?

And recognize, that the question they asked was close but no cigar. In fact the question they asked may have well come from another universe because they were asking the right question with the wrong intentions.

Jesus corrected them a long time ago in this story… see John 9.3

John 9:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

And so, you see, Jesus says the reason this happened was not so we could see the sin that caused it.... But rather, to see the one who will ultimately set it right again- and give sight to the blind- and eradicate sin and death.

And that really changes the question.

It is “how”. It’s just not “how did this man or his parent’s sin?”

It is, “How does God display Himself in this tragic situation?”

It’s in the touch of the master’s hand, the creative power that can take clay and give sight, dust and give life, blood and give forgiveness.

Read John 1.1-13

John 1:1–13 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Please note those last 2 verses.... it’s an act of faith.

born of blood- human idea

born of flesh- human idea

born of the will of man- human idea

born of God? Verse 12-”

John 1:12 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

And that verse actually answers the “How” question of Jesus...

“How does God display Himself in this tragic situation?”

It’s in the resurrection story. The most tragic story ever told.

The sinless, perfect, most holy person that ever lived is crucified and killed in a death that we can’t even imagine it is so horrific.

And the question that must be asked is, “Who sinned?”

And God’s answer is, “ you”.

And because it’s “You”, you are not qualified in anyway to fix this. Remember, the first question on that first Easter morning is, “Who’s going to roll the stone away?” And the true answer is “Not us.”

We don’t qualify to roll the stone away, we don’t qualify to fix the situation, we don’t qualify to do anything because of the anser to the most obvious question, “Who sinned?”

It is “Me”.

And try to roll the stone away, try to give CPR, try to explain why He’s dead- but you will never be able to fix the real problem because it’s “YOU”.

So stop asking, “Who sinned”, and ask “Why”?

Because the answer to that question is so that the works of God can be displayed in us.

And the answer to that question is that in three days God is going to raise Jesus from the dead to die no more. In three days God is going to rub his clay on his broken body and make it whole. In three days God is going to work His best work in the worst situation to the glory of Himself because He is the only one worthy of it.

And that brings me to my bottom line:

Don’t Ask “Why” Until You’ve Answered “Who”?

You can spend a lifetime trying to answer riddles. This blind man’s life was a riddle. “Who sinned, his parents or him?”

Ask, “Who can fix this?” and your only answer is Jesus.

I only wanted a haircut.

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