WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.279 Carl Barth, the famous theologian, was on a streetcar in Basel, Switzerland, where he 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:15.259 regularly lectured. And a tourist came and got on the streetcar and sat down next to Barth, 00:00:15.280 --> 00:00:21.280 and they began to chat. And Barth asked him, are you a tourist visiting the city? And the 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:25.940 man replied, yes, yes, I am. Barth said, well, is there anything in particular that you would 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:31.280 like to do or see while you're here in Basel? And the tourist replied, well, actually, yes, 00:00:31.859 --> 00:00:39.260 I would love to meet the famous theologian, Carl Barth. Do you know him? Barth smiled, 00:00:39.340 --> 00:00:43.420 and he responded, well, as a matter of fact, I give him a shave every morning. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:49.000 The tourist gets off the streetcar, and he goes back to his apartment, delighted, 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:52.439 thinking to himself, I just met Carl Barth's barber. 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:58.920 I love that story because it sort of illustrates something that I found to be true in my own life, 00:00:59.019 --> 00:01:05.480 which is this reality, and I wonder why it is, that sometimes the thing that we're most looking 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:12.539 for can be right in front of our eyes, and yet we fail to see it. We fail to recognize it for what it 00:01:12.539 --> 00:01:21.680 is. And that's what's happening here in John chapter 9. Throughout his gospel account, John is taking 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:27.100 from the…there's a huge list of miracles that he could have told us about that we never hear about, 00:01:27.520 --> 00:01:32.900 and you ask, well, why does he pick certain miracles? And in John's case, John picks certain 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:38.640 miracles, and he tells us about those miracles because in those miracles, we see something about 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:48.600 who Jesus is and why Jesus came, his identity and his ministry. And so, here in chapter 9, 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:56.219 John recounts this experience in which Jesus heals a blind man. And this becomes a metaphor that teaches 00:01:56.219 --> 00:02:03.399 us something not just about physical sight, but about spiritual insight, the ability to see things 00:02:03.399 --> 00:02:11.019 clearly as they are. And it's a rather long chapter, but you can really look at it by looking at three 00:02:11.020 --> 00:02:19.360 groups of people or sort of three reference points. And each group or each, in the man's case, 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:26.040 individual, they have a different kind of vision. So, first we're going to look at the partial blindness 00:02:26.040 --> 00:02:31.860 of the disciples. They're partially blind. Then we're going to look at the total blindness of the Pharisees. 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:38.340 And then finally, we'll look at the perfect vision of the man born blind. So, let's pray. 00:02:40.480 --> 00:02:45.640 Lord, we thank you for your word, and we thank you that you're a God who can open the eyes of the blind. 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:52.720 And we pray that this morning, as we look at your word, you would open our eyes, you would open our 00:02:52.720 --> 00:02:57.380 hearts, that you would make it possible for us to receive what you have for us this morning. 00:02:57.379 --> 00:03:04.060 Lord, we pray this, that we would be blessed and strengthened and encouraged, and ultimately, Lord, 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:07.719 that you would be glorified. We pray this in your Son's holy name. Amen. 00:03:09.939 --> 00:03:13.560 So, first of all, let's look at the partial blindness of the disciples. 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:20.979 Jesus and His disciples are going along. They see this man who was born blind. None of the resources 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:27.340 existed back then that we have today. So, a person like this would be forced very often to beg 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:33.580 in order to survive. So, they see this man sitting there. He's blind. He's got his cup out. He's asking 00:03:33.580 --> 00:03:40.439 for money and assistance. And so, this provokes the disciples to ask Jesus a question. They say, 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:49.500 Rabbi, who sinned? Was it this man or was it parents, his parents? Who sinned that caused him to be born 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:56.000 blind? And you need to notice the assumption they're making there. They assume that this man's suffering 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:02.819 is a direct consequence of somebody's sin. And they're simply trying to figure out whose sin 00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:10.580 caused it, right? The fact that he's born blind makes it a bit hard to know. Either his parents 00:04:10.580 --> 00:04:18.759 were so sinful, so notoriously sinful, that God had cursed their child with blindness, or God maybe 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:24.420 somehow knew that this man was going to be particularly sinful. And so, he preemptively cursed him 00:04:24.420 --> 00:04:32.379 with blindness from birth. But this is the debate the disciples are having. And this really illustrates, 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:38.680 I think, the reaction that many of us tend to have when we see suffering either in somebody else's life 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:47.879 or in our own. We always kind of want to know why. Why the suffering? Why is this happening? 00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:56.519 Why me? Why now? We ask this question, why? Because we're desperate to find a cause. 00:04:57.420 --> 00:05:05.199 We're desperate to understand what made this happen. And so, very often, people, and especially I think 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:11.759 this applies to religious people, very often, people assume that suffering is a form of punishment 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:19.439 for bad things that we've done. All right? So, if something bad happens, it means I must have done 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:26.079 something bad to deserve it. If my life's going well, if I'm relatively free from suffering, that means 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:32.279 the opposite. I must be doing pretty well. I must be a pretty good person because look at my life. 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:39.699 And I think that we're hardwired as human beings to operate this way, which is why this kind of 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:46.139 thinking shows up in most of the major religions of the world. In the West, there's this focus on 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:54.139 suffering as a kind of divine retribution for bad things that we've done. In the East, there's the 00:05:54.139 --> 00:06:01.419 idea of karma, facing consequences for bad things that either I've done previously in this life or in 00:06:01.420 --> 00:06:08.000 previous lives. But either way, there's this idea that the suffering that I'm experiencing is the 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:13.000 result of bad things that I've done. And, you know, actually, I think ideas like this are very 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:21.860 attractive because they give us the illusion of control over our lives and over the suffering that 00:06:21.860 --> 00:06:28.960 we experience. But the thing that we need to see is this. The fact that the disciples even ask this 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:37.060 question shows us that even after traveling with Jesus, even after hearing Him teach and preach 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:45.439 extensively about the kingdom, even after seeing Him do amazing things, they still fail to see who Jesus 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:53.419 really is or what He really came to do. They still don't get it. And Jesus answers them essentially by 00:06:53.420 --> 00:07:03.660 saying, you've got it all wrong. It wasn't this man's sin. It wasn't his parents' sin. In fact, 00:07:03.699 --> 00:07:09.439 you're looking at this entirely from the wrong angle. And so, we then ask, well, okay, well, why is there 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:16.560 suffering and is there a connection to sin? And what you see if you take this and you look at it in the 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:22.680 context of all of Scripture, you see that God originally actually created a world that was free from 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:29.019 suffering. God didn't intend for suffering to be a part of creation. And it was only after human 00:07:29.019 --> 00:07:36.960 beings chose to rebel against God that suffering became an ever-present reality. So, the connection 00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:45.100 between suffering and sin is a lot more nuanced than we like to think. On the one hand, suffering is a 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:51.780 consequence of human sin, generally speaking. In other words, God allowed us to experience the 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:57.799 consequences of human rebellion. You know, parents, a lot of times we talk about the natural 00:07:57.799 --> 00:08:02.219 consequences. You know, our kids do something and then they experience a natural consequence from this 00:08:02.219 --> 00:08:09.119 foolish decision they made. In a way, suffering is the natural consequence of human rebellion. And God has 00:08:09.119 --> 00:08:15.219 allowed us to experience that. So, we would say, yes, the world and everything in it is profoundly 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:20.820 broken. This is why we have crime and poverty and violence and cancer and natural disasters. 00:08:21.380 --> 00:08:28.460 It's a result of human rebellion. But we also would say that sort of on the other hand, 00:08:29.020 --> 00:08:37.220 there is not necessarily a direct connection between any specific suffering and any specific sin. 00:08:38.340 --> 00:08:41.480 And actually, Jesus makes it very clear that in this case, the case of this man, 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:47.659 the fact that he's blind, the fact that he's forced to beg, is not directly connected either to his sin 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:54.700 or to his parents' sin. This is a reality. This is a part of what it means to live in a broken world. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:09:03.860 Sometimes people are born with congenital blindness. Right? So, this encounter is not about assessing blame. 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:10.980 This encounter is, in fact, about the fact that God has set in motion a plan to restore all of creation. 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:18.159 And to bring an end to suffering. To establish a world where no one is ever born blind again. 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:23.180 And that's why Jesus says, essentially, hey, listen, you're asking the wrong question. 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:26.379 Right? You're looking in the wrong place. 00:09:27.740 --> 00:09:32.580 Yeah, this man is born blind because the world has been plunged into darkness. 00:09:33.659 --> 00:09:38.500 But I am the light of the world. And now that I'm here, there is work to be done. 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:45.879 And that's the focus that Jesus takes. This is an opportunity for the works of God to be displayed. 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:54.559 So, I think for those of us who are here, who are Christians, take note of this. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:59.559 These disciples, they believe in Jesus. They follow Jesus. 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:04.620 But there's still a lot they don't see because they're looking in the wrong places. 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.100 And they're asking the wrong questions. 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:12.180 You may have heard about the recent Asbury Revival. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:22.120 A chapel service at Asbury University turned into this 24-hour prayer and worship time that lasted for over two weeks. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:29.180 And people flocked from all over to try to be a part of and experience what was happening there. 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:35.899 And other schools started trying to generate their own praise and worship and prayer times. 00:10:36.019 --> 00:10:41.359 And it was this thing that for a while, the whole community was buzzing about. 00:10:41.699 --> 00:10:43.659 And then it eventually came to an end. 00:10:44.599 --> 00:10:49.759 And I was reading one article where they were talking about the kind of aftermath of this revival. 00:10:50.079 --> 00:10:55.259 And they were talking about all the people that had wanted to come that weren't able to make it in time. 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:58.659 And this one person they were interviewing said, quote, 00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:03.980 I just met so many people who didn't get to Asbury who wanted to get there. 00:11:04.379 --> 00:11:10.740 People who were filled with so much regret because, quote, God did something and I missed it. 00:11:12.139 --> 00:11:12.639 Right? 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.539 God did something and I missed it. 00:11:15.779 --> 00:11:20.819 The works of God were on display and I missed it. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:24.620 And, you know, on one level I get what that person is saying. 00:11:25.259 --> 00:11:29.460 You know, it would have been cool to drive down there and to see what was happening firsthand. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:39.720 But also, as soon as I read that, it made me think, you know, God is constantly at work all the time doing all kinds of things all around us. 00:11:40.379 --> 00:11:42.840 And it made me think about myself and I wondered, you know, 00:11:42.919 --> 00:11:48.779 if there were an opportunity for the works of God to be displayed right in front of us, 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:50.980 would we even see it? 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.120 Or would we be like the disciples? 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:57.820 Would we be asking the wrong questions and looking in the wrong places, 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:02.879 oblivious to something that God wants to do right here, right in front of me? 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:07.100 The works of God were on display and I missed it. 00:12:07.179 --> 00:12:08.039 Why did you miss it? 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:09.779 Where were you looking? 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.600 So the disciples are partially blind. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:19.540 But the next group we're going to look at is the Pharisees and they're totally blind. 00:12:19.940 --> 00:12:20.840 They're totally blind. 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:24.360 That's what Jesus actually says at the very end of the chapter. 00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:29.120 The Pharisees claim to be able to see, but the truth is they're spiritually blind. 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:36.399 And that becomes more and more apparent as we see how they respond to this man who's been healed. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:42.840 Jesus heals the man using, you know, things, symbols that were common in the day. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:45.279 The saliva was thought to have medicinal properties. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.600 And so he heals this man. 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.860 The neighbors have no idea what to make of this situation. 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:57.659 Note, by the way, they've walked by this guy every day for years and years and years. 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:00.299 They don't even really recognize him. 00:13:00.299 --> 00:13:00.819 Right? 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:02.139 That makes sense. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:05.620 How many people do I walk by every day and I couldn't pick them out in a lineup? 00:13:06.079 --> 00:13:08.620 You know, they've never even really looked at this guy. 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:11.000 They don't know what to do with it. 00:13:11.079 --> 00:13:12.899 So they bring this man to the Pharisees. 00:13:13.079 --> 00:13:14.599 These are the local religious leaders. 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:19.120 They think, well, if anybody can make sense of this man and his healing, they're going to know what to do. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:20.899 So what do the Pharisees do? 00:13:20.959 --> 00:13:27.179 Well, they interrogate the man and then they interrogate his parents, who essentially throw him under the bus, by the way. 00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:31.120 And then they bring the man back in and they interrogate him a second time. 00:13:31.439 --> 00:13:36.519 And that leads to this remarkable exchange between this blind man and the Pharisees. 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:38.799 The Pharisees say essentially this. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:39.599 They say, come on. 00:13:39.959 --> 00:13:41.059 Tell the truth. 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:43.839 We know that this man, Jesus, is a sinner. 00:13:44.319 --> 00:13:48.439 And this man says, well, whether or not he's a sinner, I don't know. 00:13:49.199 --> 00:13:50.419 All I know is this. 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:54.779 I once was blind and now I see. 00:13:54.779 --> 00:13:58.220 And they say, well, what did he do to you? 00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.679 How did he do it? 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:05.059 And the man says, I already told you once and you didn't believe me. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.159 Why do you want to hear it again? 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.120 Do you also want to become his disciples? 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.559 And then they begin to revile him, which is they verbally abuse him. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:15.039 They hurl insults at him. 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:19.980 And they say, you may be his disciple, but we follow Moses. 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:23.379 We know that Moses was from God. 00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:27.059 But as for this man, we have no idea where he comes from. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:30.799 And then listen to what this man says in response. 00:14:30.939 --> 00:14:32.659 He says, well, that's amazing. 00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:37.439 You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is he opened my eyes. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:46.880 Now, obviously, God doesn't take orders from sinners, but he does listen to those who worship him and serve him and follow him. 00:14:47.540 --> 00:14:52.280 And that man was able to do something that no one in history has ever been able to do. 00:14:52.460 --> 00:14:54.940 If he wasn't from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything. 00:14:56.660 --> 00:15:06.040 I mean, this is a clear, rational, compelling argument based on firsthand eyewitness testimony about Jesus. 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:07.919 I mean, that's about as good as it gets. 00:15:08.740 --> 00:15:19.000 There's a guy saying, this happened to me, and here's the theological rationale that would suggest the only way to interpret this is that this man is from God. 00:15:19.959 --> 00:15:21.659 It's almost a watertight argument. 00:15:21.839 --> 00:15:22.860 It's about as good as you can get. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:25.279 But here's what the Pharisees say. 00:15:26.579 --> 00:15:28.039 You were born in utter sin. 00:15:28.959 --> 00:15:31.819 How dare you presume to teach us anything? 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:34.179 And they cast him out of the synagogue. 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:35.879 That was his parents' fear. 00:15:36.319 --> 00:15:39.559 They're like, well, if he starts saying that he's the Messiah, they're going to kick him out. 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:42.219 It's going to be social disgrace for our whole family. 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:43.459 Well, that's what happens. 00:15:45.599 --> 00:15:48.059 The truth is right in front of their faces. 00:15:48.839 --> 00:15:50.139 But they're blind to it. 00:15:51.139 --> 00:15:53.360 And so this forces us to ask, why? 00:15:53.500 --> 00:15:54.699 Why don't they see it? 00:15:54.719 --> 00:15:55.299 It's so obvious. 00:15:56.459 --> 00:15:59.000 And the answer is pride. 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:01.319 Pride. 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:04.840 Look at what Jesus says at the very end of the chapter. 00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:05.980 Verse 39. 00:16:06.180 --> 00:16:06.520 He says, 00:16:06.900 --> 00:16:16.440 For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:20.520 Now, obviously, he's not just talking about physical sight here. 00:16:20.660 --> 00:16:24.220 He's not literally saying, I'm going to come, and if you can see, I'm going to strike you blind. 00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:27.380 He's talking about spiritual insight. 00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:36.200 In other words, he's talking about the ability to see and to admit the truth about our own spiritual condition. 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:37.919 That's what this is really getting at. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.059 Here's the point. 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:51.779 The people who are able to see Jesus clearly, the people who are able to recognize Jesus as God's Messiah, are not the smart people. 00:16:52.779 --> 00:16:54.899 They are not the religious people. 00:16:55.599 --> 00:16:57.599 They are not the good people. 00:16:58.319 --> 00:17:00.439 They are not the upstanding people. 00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:05.359 It's the people who realize how much they need his grace. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.279 It's the people who see their need. 00:17:09.719 --> 00:17:13.139 It's the people who realize that they're spiritually bankrupt. 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:24.159 It's the people who see through to the heart of their motives and realize their motives are not nearly as clean and tidy as they like to believe they are. 00:17:24.979 --> 00:17:27.379 It's the people who see the truth about themselves. 00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:44.220 It's the people who realize that unless God is willing to give them grace, meaning give them something that they didn't earn, don't deserve, and could never repay, unless God is willing to give them that, they have no hope. 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:52.220 So Jesus is saying, listen, there are a lot of people in the world with all kinds of advantages and privileges. 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:54.720 People who have great jobs. 00:17:54.900 --> 00:17:55.920 People who are smart. 00:17:56.360 --> 00:17:59.220 Who are well-educated from the best universities. 00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:02.500 People who are well-respected in their communities. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:04.259 People who have lots of friends. 00:18:04.660 --> 00:18:06.100 People who have great families. 00:18:06.539 --> 00:18:09.319 People who do a lot of good in the world. 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:13.679 The people, when you think about who are the best people I know, you think, man, that person. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.000 That person is the most amazing person. 00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:17.859 There are a lot of people like that. 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:26.159 And what this is saying is it's going to be extremely difficult for someone like that to ever recognize their need for grace. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:29.879 It's going to be extremely difficult. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:38.119 Because their sense of pride and self-sufficiency will very likely blind them. 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:49.200 But people like this man, people who struggle, who suffer, people who the world looks at as a failure, 00:18:50.179 --> 00:18:55.599 people who the world says he must have been cursed, he must have done something really bad, 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.000 his parents must have done something really bad, 00:18:58.259 --> 00:19:02.879 the kind of people that you might walk by for ten years and never really look in the face, 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:10.920 those are the ones who most readily recognize Jesus when he comes. 00:19:11.120 --> 00:19:11.380 Why? 00:19:11.820 --> 00:19:15.080 Because they already know they have nothing and deserve nothing. 00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:20.380 They have no illusions about what they are entitled to. 00:19:22.580 --> 00:19:26.960 No one can be argued into faith in Jesus. 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:36.100 You can present the clearest, most rational, compelling argument based on the eyewitness testimony of the Gospels, 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.480 but if someone doesn't see their need for grace, they will be blind to the truth, 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:43.680 even if it's right in front of their eyes. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:52.400 And this is actually one of the main ways that God uses suffering and struggle and hardship in our lives. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:20:01.259 One of the ways that God redeems brokenness is he uses suffering to open us up to our need. 00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:02.759 It humbles us. 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.820 It strips away whatever sense of entitlement we may have. 00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:11.379 And in some of us, it opens us to the truth of our need for grace. 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:15.279 That's why when they first see this blind man, Jesus says, 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.399 hey, this is an opportunity for God's works to be displayed. 00:20:18.639 --> 00:20:22.159 He's saying, this is the kind of person who's going to get it. 00:20:25.139 --> 00:20:27.659 So this is why the Pharisees are totally blind, right? 00:20:27.679 --> 00:20:29.200 So we have partially blind disciples. 00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:32.939 We have totally blind Pharisees, blinded because of their pride. 00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:35.899 Now look at the blind man. 00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.099 The man born blind, right? 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:43.939 Now we're going to look at the perfect vision of the man born blind. 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:50.119 Jesus heals this man, and his physical eyesight comes back immediately, 00:20:50.419 --> 00:20:55.119 but his spiritual eyesight actually comes back gradually. 00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:59.419 And you can actually see it happen. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.319 As the story progresses, we had to cut… 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:06.500 The lectionary cuts out part of the reading just because it's a long chapter, 00:21:06.500 --> 00:21:11.140 but if you walk through the entire chapter verse by verse, 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:16.420 you see this gradual opening of this man's spiritual eyes. 00:21:16.779 --> 00:21:21.700 At first, in verse 11, he refers to Jesus as simply the man called Jesus. 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:23.420 Really nice man. 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:26.000 Did something really amazing, right? 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:28.599 Then, in verse 17, he calls him a prophet. 00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:30.460 Not just a man, he's a prophet. 00:21:30.460 --> 00:21:37.240 Then, in verse 33, he says essentially that this man is clearly from God. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.579 He's a special prophet who's been sent directly from God. 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:42.120 He has God's power. 00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:46.400 And then after he's cast out of the synagogue, Jesus finds him, 00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:48.000 and Jesus says, 00:21:48.380 --> 00:21:50.059 Do you believe in the Son of Man? 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:51.500 Which is a messianic title. 00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:53.160 Do you believe in the Son of Man? 00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:54.779 And this man is wide open. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:55.579 He says, Where is he? 00:21:55.660 --> 00:21:56.160 Where is he? 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.940 I'll worship him. 00:21:57.300 --> 00:21:58.180 You know, I'll believe in him. 00:21:58.220 --> 00:21:59.440 Just point me in the right direction. 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:01.680 And Jesus says, I am he. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.680 And then it says, and this is very important, 00:22:06.060 --> 00:22:08.200 he not only says to Jesus, I believe, 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:12.740 but he says, it says in verse 38, that he worships him. 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:21.019 So he goes from the man Jesus, and he finally arrives at, he worships him. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:28.819 Just want to make it clear that no first century Jewish man readily worships another first century Jewish man. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:29.299 Right? 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:31.180 That kind of thing didn't happen. 00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:37.240 So what this is showing us very clearly is that this man comes to see fully who Jesus is. 00:22:37.339 --> 00:22:40.539 This is God's Messiah worthy of my worship. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:41.819 Falls on his face. 00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:45.599 And this is often how conversion happens. 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:52.579 It's not so much a one-time experience, just bam, you know, immediately, but it happens over time. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:58.160 It's a gradual coming to see Jesus more and more clearly over time. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:05.240 But the key, the real key, is not just seeing Jesus. 00:23:07.080 --> 00:23:09.060 It's choosing to worship Jesus. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.560 In other words, it's choosing to make Jesus the Lord of our lives. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:23.519 Which means we have to finally let go of our pride, our autonomy, our self-sufficiency, and turn our lives over to him. 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:27.960 If pride is the thing that blinds me, if self-sufficiency is the thing that blinds me, 00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:34.319 then I'm only going to be able to see Jesus clearly if I'm willing to let those things go. 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:40.419 And the extent to which I'm trying to hold on to my pride and autonomy is the extent to which I will not see Jesus. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:50.359 But the more I'm willing to let that go, the more and more clearly we will begin to recognize Jesus not only as a great man, as a great prophet, as a great teacher, 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:53.299 but as the one worthy of our worship. 00:23:55.199 --> 00:24:00.939 I recently heard a story from a man named Stu Fuldendorf. 00:24:01.719 --> 00:24:05.679 And Stu Fuldendorf has this amazing story of how he came to faith. 00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:12.079 For a long time, his wife was a Christian, and he says that he would make fun of his wife. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:17.159 She actually would hide her Bible because whenever he saw her reading it, he would make snide comments. 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:21.660 And just kind of look down on her and generally was pretty condescending about her faith. 00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:23.380 And really about faith in general. 00:24:24.220 --> 00:24:27.420 And he was a part of this company, and they were about to go public, 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:31.800 and they were about to all overnight become millionaires on paper. 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:33.519 And so they're celebrating. 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:38.700 They're in New York for this week of meetings, and they have this long day of about nine meetings. 00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:45.360 And then they go out for this long extended dinner with lots of food and cocktails and multiple bottles of wine. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:49.979 And they're just basically celebrating the reality that all their lives are about to change. 00:24:50.059 --> 00:24:51.639 All their work is about to pay off. 00:24:51.699 --> 00:24:53.019 All their dreams are going to come true. 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:57.579 And after this long, boozy dinner, they're walking back, 00:24:57.719 --> 00:25:01.619 and they start to have this conversation about how religion is pathetic, 00:25:01.819 --> 00:25:03.859 about how religion is the opiate of the masses, 00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:08.299 how religion is a crutch for weak people who can't make it in life. 00:25:08.439 --> 00:25:11.139 And he's sort of agreeing with everything that's being said. 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:15.780 And then he gets back to his room, his hotel room, and he feels troubled. 00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:19.740 He feels disturbed, and he doesn't know why. 00:25:20.220 --> 00:25:22.600 And he thinks about having another drink, but he decides, 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:24.280 no, this is something I actually want to think about. 00:25:24.800 --> 00:25:28.720 So he sits down in a chair, and he starts thinking about Jesus. 00:25:29.820 --> 00:25:33.460 And he starts thinking about what would the world be like without Jesus? 00:25:34.100 --> 00:25:35.860 What would the world be like if he had never come? 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:38.859 And then he starts thinking about his own life, 00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:44.179 and he starts thinking about this quest that he's been on as long as he can remember 00:25:44.179 --> 00:25:46.979 for self-sufficiency and autonomy. 00:25:48.500 --> 00:25:50.079 He starts realizing, you know, he says, you know, 00:25:50.119 --> 00:25:55.799 I've invested everything in the idea that there is no God. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.899 I've put all my hope in my business acumen. 00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:01.799 That's where all of my hope resides, 00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:05.399 is that one day I'm going to be so successful in business 00:26:05.399 --> 00:26:08.059 that I won't have to worry anymore. 00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:11.839 And he begins to realize, he begins to get this insight. 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:15.240 He begins to realize, actually, this quest for self-sufficiency 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:18.440 has enslaved me to the pursuit of wealth. 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:23.879 I thought I was becoming more free, but in fact, all I do is work. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:28.220 All I do is to try to achieve this self-sufficiency. 00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:31.059 And then he starts thinking about his wife, 00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:34.839 and he starts thinking about the fact that she seems to have this joy 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:37.059 that comes from somewhere else. 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:40.940 She seems to have this joy that she didn't earn, 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:43.000 and it's always there no matter what. 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:45.600 And then listen to what he says here. 00:26:45.700 --> 00:26:46.559 This is a direct quote. 00:26:47.559 --> 00:26:50.360 I felt a warm wave of energy surge through me, 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:52.360 and my eyes welled up with tears. 00:26:52.740 --> 00:26:53.860 I couldn't stop it. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:56.279 A feeling of joy, but also regret. 00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:59.259 A feeling of deep and unending love, 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:02.599 but also a deep sense of the need to repent. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:06.639 It seemed like a light had come on, 00:27:07.139 --> 00:27:09.399 even though the room was still dark. 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:12.339 See, that's what it looks like 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:16.960 when the light of the world comes into your life. 00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:19.879 It seemed like a light had come on. 00:27:20.619 --> 00:27:24.200 And then he says he realized that he had Christianity all wrong. 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:28.400 He says he realized that even though the world was a dark and broken place, 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:30.900 that Jesus had come to heal people, 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:32.400 and to forgive people, 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.960 and to transform people. 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:37.620 So then he says that there from the floor of his hotel room, 00:27:38.100 --> 00:27:39.039 in the middle of the night, 00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:40.299 he cries out, 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:41.640 and he says, 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:44.240 Jesus, I've worshipped myself, 00:27:44.380 --> 00:27:45.180 but it's empty. 00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:48.299 I don't want to live another moment apart from you. 00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:50.100 I give myself to you. 00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:51.559 Please forgive my pride. 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:53.200 God, make me one of yours, 00:27:53.419 --> 00:27:54.899 and adopt me into your family. 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:57.359 And that, my friends, 00:27:57.440 --> 00:28:00.639 is what it looks like for a spiritually blind man 00:28:00.639 --> 00:28:03.000 who has been blind from birth 00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:05.319 to have his eyes opened 00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:07.460 by the light of the world, 00:28:08.159 --> 00:28:10.819 where he comes not only to believe in Jesus, 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:13.059 but to worship Him 00:28:13.059 --> 00:28:14.700 and to call Him Lord. 00:28:14.700 --> 00:28:19.960 And the same thing happened to another man named John Newton, 00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:23.620 which is what moved him to write these words that we all know. 00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:25.059 Amazing grace, 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:26.220 how sweet the sound 00:28:26.220 --> 00:28:27.799 that saved a wretch like me. 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:29.220 I once was lost, 00:28:29.340 --> 00:28:30.819 but now I'm found, 00:28:31.299 --> 00:28:32.180 was blind, 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:33.319 but now I see. 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:35.160 Let's pray. 00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:39.300 Lord, we thank you that 00:28:39.300 --> 00:28:42.019 the core truth here 00:28:42.019 --> 00:28:43.840 is that we can't do it on our own. 00:28:44.560 --> 00:28:46.340 We can't open our own eyes. 00:28:46.980 --> 00:28:50.180 We can't open the eyes of anyone else in our lives. 00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:52.360 No matter how good our arguments, 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:55.560 Lord, no matter how persuasive we may be, 00:28:56.380 --> 00:28:58.460 only you can open the eyes of the blind. 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:01.040 Only you can give us sight. 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.680 So, Lord, we pray that 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:06.639 even as we meditate on your word, 00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:08.879 as we pray and sing, 00:29:09.399 --> 00:29:11.099 as we come around your table, 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.159 that our eyes would be opened. 00:29:13.720 --> 00:29:15.579 We are here to behold you. 00:29:16.399 --> 00:29:18.420 And we pray that in beholding you, 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:19.899 we would be given the courage 00:29:19.899 --> 00:29:21.799 to let go of our desire for autonomy. 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:24.139 And that we would cling to you 00:29:24.139 --> 00:29:25.119 and in doing so, 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:26.319 see you more clearly. 00:29:27.159 --> 00:29:28.659 We pray this in your Son's holy name. 00:29:28.859 --> 00:29:29.059 Amen. 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:31.519 Amen. 00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:39.799 Amen. 00:29:40.420 --> 00:29:41.720 Amen. 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:42.200 Amen. 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:48.059 Amen. 00:29:48.119 --> 00:29:48.159 Amen. 00:29:48.180 --> 00:29:49.639 Amen. 00:29:49.639 --> 00:29:50.220 Amen. 00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:50.379 Amen. 00:29:50.379 --> 00:29:50.460 Amen. 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:50.559 Amen. 00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:50.599 Amen. 00:29:50.599 --> 00:29:50.639 Amen. 00:29:50.659 --> 00:29:50.759 Amen. 00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:51.119 Amen. 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:52.019 Amen. 00:29:52.039 --> 00:29:52.519 Amen. 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:52.759 Amen. 00:29:52.759 --> 00:29:52.779 Amen. 00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:53.220 Amen. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.319 Amen. 00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:54.399 Amen. 00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:54.819 Amen. 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:55.940 Amen. 00:29:56.019 --> 00:29:56.700 Amen. 00:29:56.700 --> 00:29:56.980 Amen. 00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:57.980 Amen. 00:29:57.980 --> 00:29:58.940 Amen. 00:29:58.940 --> 00:29:59.059 Amen. 00:29:59.059 --> 00:30:00.420 Amen. 00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:00.599 Amen.