Sermon by Owen Rogers on ‘Light’ from John 9:1-41 and Ephesians 5:8-14
The challenge of a blindfold
We started with a volunteer who negotiated an obstacle course blindfolded. That completed, the volunteer was asked to write down the exact time. The volunteer was able to write but the time recorded was not accurate.
So we can see that there are some things we can do without being able to see, but other things that are impossible.
When it comes to spiritual things, like knowing God and his plans for our lives, we are like the man born blind (see John 9). Many of us didn’t know God to start with and in that state there are still lots of things we can do – eat, drink, sleep, work, play – but when it comes to living for God we were living in the darkness.
When we meet with Jesus and our lives are changed by him, we don’t suddenly become able to see and do all that God wants. We start a journey, a process. We learn it, getting better with practice. According to Ephesians (5:10), our job every day is to ‘find out what pleases the Lord’ and to do it.
It’s too easy to look without seeing. Philip Moll (North Shore Times March 31) has been noticing things that other people miss and photographing them. He has published his photographs, taken in North Shore bush reserves, in a book. “What I’m hoping is it opens people’s eyes,” Mr. Moll says.
This concept of opening people’s eyes applies to more than physical sight. It applies to our understanding. We might use the phrase when we grasp a new idea or concept. How often have you heard someone say, “That was an eye-opener”?
The man born blind was on such a journey. After being given his physical sight the eyes of his understanding were progressively opened. You could say he also gained spiritual sight. In the blind man’s experience, we see a growing understanding of who Jesus is. How did he first describe his healer (verse 11): as ‘the man they call Jesus’. After being questioned he comes to the further conclusion (verse 16): that Jesus cannot be a sinner, and indeed (verse 17): must be a prophet. Later still, he describes Jesus as (verses 31,33): a ‘godly man’ who must have been sent ‘from God’. Finally, when he encounters Jesus and sees him for the first time (verses 35,38), he acknowledges him as the Son of Man to whom all lordship has been given (see Daniel 7:13,14) and worships him. By so doing he shows that spiritually he has far more insight than the blind Pharisees.
How do you see Jesus – who is he for you?
The impact of spiritual blindfolds
The Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees) knew a huge amount about God. They had tried to serve him all their lives. We heard last week how Jesus ignored conventions, preferring to relate to people his own way. The Pharisees were freaked thinking their zealous rule-keeping and formal religion was being overthrown so they deliberately blindfolded themselves because they did not want to believe in him (John 9:40,41). Even a miracle of a kind that had never been seen before (John 9:32) couldn’t convince them.
What other people think
Because we live in a world of spiritual darkness, we can be tempted to go back to our old ways, even after we have met with Jesus. We can blindfold ourselves with worrying about ‘What other people think’.
If our daily task is to ‘find out what pleases the Lord’ and to do it. What do you think those things might be that please the Lord? Ask yourself: ‘What things could I do in this next week that would please Jesus?’ It’s not about looking for special good deeds, but about pleasing Jesus in the ordinary and everyday things (Ephesians 5:9).
If our sight is good we will please God but if we’re worried about what friends, neighbours or family might have thought or said we can easily fail to do what we know we should.
What I am missing
Sometimes things that are wrong look very attractive. It may seem that our friends are having a much better time than us. Sometimes we are just so full of our own ideas that we don’t stop to listen to God. As ‘children of light’ (verse 8), God’s people are to ‘have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose them’ (verse 11). We are to refuse the seductions of the world, the flesh and the devil, choosing day by day to follow the values, attitudes, goals and priorities of the kingdom of God instead.
I know best
We are blind if we think we know best and don’t seek God’s guidance. How can we determine what is the best way to go? For example, making a point of seeking God’s way, asking advice from God’s people and taking time to hear from God. God will help us know what is best. The devil tries to convince us that the way to live is, ‘If it feels right, do it.’ We have to unmask this lie for what it is. Our main concern should be to please the Lord, and to do always what is good, right and true (verses 9,10). In doing this we will truly be Jesus’ followers, ‘a city on a hill’ (Matthew 5:14) giving light to all around. We have to trust him and learn how to enjoy and appreciate the good things that come from following him.
John Newton’s hymn ‘Amazing grace’ includes the lines: ‘I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.’ There are times when we need specific wisdom from God, such as, ‘What do I do now?’ and ‘What shall I do with my life when I leave school, when I change jobs, when I retire?’ But mostly, walking in the light is like going on a night-time walk with a torch. Through our prayers, our reading and learning from the Bible, and the help we receive from one another, God gives us enough light to see just as far ahead as we need to.