Blindness and Sight

Last year, Michael P. Lynch, who's a professor of philosophy at the University of Connecticut,

wrote a very influential book, some say groundbreaking book, called The Internet of Us,

Knowing More and Understanding Less in the Age of Big Data.

And in it, he argues that with the Internet and Google knowing, which is what he calls,

that these things aggravate the tendency that people have to be dogmatic and unreasonable in their beliefs.

Because the Internet not only makes true information more accessible, it also proliferates false information and rumors.

And because there's so much information and so many sources to choose from,

and people typically only limit the number of people that they choose to listen to and trust,

it forms these pockets of ignorance, tribes, so to speak, and bubbles where people don't interact with each other.

And then combine that with the fact that people generally tend to believe things that fit their pre-existing worldview and beliefs neatly,

rather than things that challenge those beliefs and make them reevaluate things,

it leads to this polarization, division of ideologies.

And of course, this is not a new phenomenon.

It may have been worsened by the rise of the Internet.

But, you know, dogmatism and, you know, ideological stubbornness is a human problem.

It's not a Generation Y or Z problem, right?

And we see this already in John 9, where Jesus performs an amazing miracle,

healing a man born blind.

But the Jews, rather than believing in Jesus and then adjusting their faulty beliefs accordingly to what God has shown through Jesus,

they remain in their spiritual blindness.

They're not willing to budge and change their system, what they believe was true.

And as we look at this passage, it warns us about our own blindness and ignorance of our own hearts.

And it teaches us mainly that Jesus is the light of the world who gives sight to those who recognize their blindness.

And so first, we'll talk about physical blindness of the man,

and then we'll talk about the spiritual blindness of the Jews.

And then lastly, we'll conclude by talking about Jesus, the light of the world.

So, again, if you'd remember the context of this, we remember from chapter 7,

this is still during the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles.

And it's a feast that was commanded in Leviticus 23, 42 to 43.

It says this,

You shall dwell in booths for seven days.

All native Israelites shall dwell in booths,

that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths

when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

I am the Lord your God.

So the Feast of Booths was meant to commemorate the Exodus.

At the time the Israelites came out of Egypt and God liberated them,

they dwelled in the wilderness in tents, in booths during that time.

And you might recall also, if you know the Exodus story,

that during that time in the wilderness,

God led them by day with the pillar of cloud

and by night with the pillar of fire with light, it says in Exodus 13 to 21.

And so combine that image of the pillar of light in the wilderness

along with the fact that the Feast of Booths at this time had rituals using light,

involving lamps, big lamps set up in the courtyard,

and people dancing with torches at night.

And also the reading from Zechariah,

which said that the God will shine on them,

that he will be the light that shines on the day of the Lord.

And with this rich theological backdrop,

Jesus says,

I am the light of the world.

And that's what he said in chapter 8, verse 12,

and he says it again in this passage.

And then Jesus shows the implications of that truth

and by dividing the people who belong to the light

and people who belong to the blindness.

So let's look with me at verse 1.

As Jesus is passing by, he sees a man blind from birth.

And then Jesus' disciples ask him,

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

And Jesus answers,

It was not that this man sinned or his parents,

but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

And we saw earlier in John chapter 5

John 5 · chapter mention

that some sins do cause sickness.

The invalid, Jesus implied,

had sin in his life,

that it caused his judgment.

But we see here that this doesn't mean

that every sickness is caused by sin.

Sometimes people are sick or disabled for no particular sin,

but to serve God's greater purpose,

to display his glory.

And this is an important lesson for us

because all of us are going to experience suffering,

and we have already experienced suffering.

And that's a great opportunity for us to care for one another

and love and serve one another.

But it's tempting during those times

when we're counseling or ministering to those who are suffering

to try to minimize that suffering

or to explain away the suffering.

So we ask questions like,

Well, what do you think God's trying to teach us through this?

Because when we do that,

when we turn to that,

we kind of short-circuit compassion

because you're not going to really be compassionate

towards someone that you think is just needing to learn a lesson.

And you're going to say,

Well, it's really a matter of solving a riddle,

figuring out what the issue is.

And when you finally get it,

then you're going to stop suffering.

That would be the attitude of someone who thinks that way.

But this teaches that

that's not how we ought to deal with those who are suffering.

Rather, it's the very uncertainty of suffering,

not knowing what's going on.

That's what truly fosters faith and dependence on God.

And sometimes that's how many people suffer.

And so by remembering that,

then we can be more compassionate toward those who are suffering.

Unlike these disciples,

assuming that it was something that they had done

and causing and exacerbating their guilt,

which may already be present.

And so after this mini lesson on suffering,

Jesus continues to expound on his claim

that he's the light of the world in verses 4 to 5.

Read with me.

We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.

Night is coming when no one can work.

As long as I am in the world,

I am the light of the world.

And we see in the way Jesus says this,

his unique role,

because the change in the personal pronouns.

Because at first he says,

we must work the works of him.

So all of us,

his disciples included,

they have work to do together.

But he changes that to say,

we must work the works of him who sent me.

Jesus is the unique sent one.

He's the sent one of God.

And we participate in his works only by association,

by uniting with him,

participating in his work.

So we're like,

Jesus is a sun in his solar system,

and we're like satellite moons,

really reflecting his light,

doing his work.

And so Jesus is the light of the world.

But what does he mean that,

talking about day and night,

and the night is coming,

we won't be able to do works anymore.

And these are metaphors of light and darkness.

And the day refers to the time

when Jesus is still here on earth,

doing his ministry.

And that's the time set aside for him

to lay the foundation for the church,

to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ,

that he came to die for sinners,

and he rose again for our vindication.

And that's the ministry that has to happen

while he's on earth,

and his disciples partake in that.

But the night is coming

when after his resurrection,

he will be taken away from them.

He won't be here anymore.

And in that intervening time,

until the spirit of God comes

as Jesus,

when Jesus sends him,

that's the night

when they cannot do the work.

The gospel of ministry

does not go forward

apart from the spirits,

the presence of God with them.

And so,

and then John will speak more

of the Holy Spirit later

in chapter 14 and 16.

And so having taught his disciples

what it means

that he is the light of the world,

Jesus then proceeds

to heal the man blind from birth

as kind of an acted parable

of what he is teaching.

And so read verse 6 and 7 with me.

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 and said to him,

Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,

which means scent.

So he went and washed

and came back seeing.

The manner in which Jesus

performs his miracle,

I think, is significant

in a couple ways.

The first is that Jesus

is taking the dust of the ground,

the dirt,

and he's forming mud

and then he's anointing

the man's eyes.

And that's reminiscent

of God's creation

in Genesis 2, 7,

where dust is taken

from the ground

and God forms humanity

with the dust

from the ground.

And so there may be

a slight allusion to that.

God is,

Jesus is doing

the work of recreation,

healing,

restoring the work of creation

that his father started,

the word,

and he was involved

in creation, of course.

And then secondly,

I think that it's,

and that first point,

I think,

is made also more plausible

by the fact that Jesus

had already described himself

as the Lord of creation

earlier in chapter 5,

who works on the Sabbath day

even as his father

works on the Sabbath day.

He doesn't rest

because he's a sovereign God

who sustains creation.

So just as the father

works on the seventh Sabbath day

to sustain creation,

the son works on the Sabbath day

to recreate,

to bring about

the new creation.

And so having already

made that connection,

this connection,

this parallel

seems more plausible.

And secondly,

I think it's intended

to be understood

in a metaphorical way,

is that by anointing

the man's eyes with mud,

he's suggesting,

or it's showing,

really,

demonstrating the man's

spiritual blindness,

his sin as well

that blinds him.

And I think

the metaphorical significance

is seen in him

sending the blind man

to the pool of Siloam.

And that's significant

because John notes

that the name of the pool

means sent.

And Jesus said earlier

that he is the one

who was sent, right?

That he was the one

who was sent by the father.

And remember,

this is during the Feast of Booths,

which also had

the water ritual

where the priest

took water

from the pool of Siloam,

marched to the temple,

and poured it out

on the altar

and saying

that the living water

shall flow out

from Jerusalem

as it was prophesied

in Zechariah 14.8.

So then,

remembering this,

then Jesus anoints

this man's eyes

with mud

and then he goes

to the pool of Siloam,

which means sent,

and he washes his eyes

and becomes,

he is restored to sight.

So then Jesus,

the sent one,

is the source

of that living water.

And when you've washed

and you're washed with him,

washed by him,

that's when we're also

restored to spiritual sight.

And that's something

that Jesus is seeking

to teach in this metaphor.

And so,

the blind man follows

his instructions

and returns

with his sight restored.

Verses 8 to 10

capture the people's astonishment.

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?

Some said,

it is he.

Others said,

no,

but he is like him.

He kept saying,

I am the man.

So they said to him,

then how were your eyes opened?

And the man's answer

is simple.

The man called Jesus,

made mud,

and anointed my eyes

and said to me,

go to Siloam and wash.

So I went

and washed

and received my sight.

And naturally,

the man's neighbors,

as we would be also,

are very interested

in meeting this person

with extraordinary ability.

And so they ask,

where is he?

But he replies,

I do not know.

And so this is

the physical healing

of the blind man.

And in doing so,

Jesus proves himself

to be the light

of the world

who also heals

spiritual blightness.

And the ensuing

confrontation

with the Jews

further demonstrates this.

And so the amazed neighbor,

as they bring the man

to the Pharisees

or the Jews,

the Jewish leaders

at the local synagogue level,

and they probably

didn't have any malicious intent,

even though it turns sinister.

And so they come,

they are just seeking

some insight,

you know,

because something happened

that was clearly amazing

and had some spiritual importance.

So they wanted to ask

the local authorities,

spiritual authorities,

what to make

of all of this.

And so they say,

but there's a hint here

of a brewing conflict

because it's noted by John

that now it was a Sabbath day

when Jesus made the mud

and opened his eyes.

Now, you might recall

from chapter 5

that even though the Jews

were very particular

about observing the Sabbath,

the actual command

in the Old Testament

was quite general.

It was simply a command

not to work.

But on top of that,

the Jews had accumulated

many traditions,

a tradition of the elders

that specified exactly

what constituted that work.

And one of them

was for doctors

or for physicians,

healing,

applying certain medicines.

And only exception

to that rule

was when it was

a life-threatening circumstance,

which clearly this was not.

I mean, this man

has been blind

for all of his life.

But so their indignation

is Jesus,

if you really are from God,

if you really observe

the law of God,

then why can't you

just wait one day?

Just wait one day.

Why are you doing this now?

Right?

So that's their objection.

And so some of them

prematurely conclude

in verse 16,

this man is not from God

for he does not

keep the Sabbath.

They're so sure

that the Sabbath

is the law of God

and that they're

so convinced

of their own

interpretation of the Sabbath,

they can't fathom

the possibility.

They can't understand

that Jesus

is actually from God.

But others

at this point

are not so sure.

They say,

how can a man

who is a sinner

do such signs?

And there was a division

among them.

And so this group

gives greater weight

to the miracle itself.

The fact that

that demonstrates

that Jesus

is indeed from God.

But they're unable

to agree

and so they

bring the man again,

they ask him

and force him

to take a side.

Verse 17,

what do you say

about him

since he has

opened your eyes?

And then he replies,

he is a prophet.

So the man

is not about

to get involved

in the debate

about the nuances

of Sabbath keeping.

He simply knows

that a work of God

was done in his life.

And so he testifies

that Jesus must be

an extraordinary agent

of God,

a prophet of God,

which is,

you see a progression already.

In the first conversation

he had,

he said,

oh,

the man named Jesus

did this.

Now he says

he is a prophet.

There seems to be

no lack of,

you know,

eyewitnesses

and testimonies

about this man's miracle.

But the Jewish leaders

are still not satisfied.

Verses 18 to 19,

it says,

the Jews did not believe

that he had been blind

and received his sight

until they called

the parents

of the man

who had received

his sight

and asked him,

is this your son?

Who you say

was born blind?

How then

does he now see?

So,

they're involving

their parents

in the investigation

because they think

that these neighbors

who had seen him

get healed

might have been mistaken.

I mean,

maybe they didn't know

how he looked.

Now that his eyes are open,

he looks very different.

Maybe he had very big eyes,

right?

So,

okay,

well,

let's get the parents.

There's no way

they're going to mistake

this man for someone else,

right?

The parents will surely know

whether this is the right man.

And so,

they ask him,

is this your son?

And then secondly,

like,

they don't believe

that the man was blind

from birth,

right?

So they,

because,

I mean,

how would he know?

He didn't know

when he was a baby.

Maybe he just remembered,

as far as they can remember,

he was blind,

but maybe he wasn't born blind.

So he asks the parents,

was he the one

that was born blind?

And then finally,

they ask him,

they ask the parents also,

and how then does he now see

if that's all true?

And the parents answer

in the affirmative

to the two questions.

Say,

is this your son?

Yes,

it is indeed our son.

And the second question also,

yes,

indeed he was born blind.

We can attest to that.

But they dodged

the third question.

They say,

but how he now sees,

we do not know,

nor do we know

who opened his eyes.

Ask him.

He is of age.

He will speak for himself.

And John tells us

in a parenthetical note

that this is because

they feared the repercussions

that the Jewish leaders

had agreed.

And in a later time,

after Jesus' death

and resurrection,

there will be a more

widespread concerted effort

to root out followers of Christ

from the synagogues.

But already,

it says,

John here,

far long before Jesus' death,

already there is

at the local level

an effort to root out

people who are following Christ.

So his parents said

these things,

it says in verse 22,

because they feared the Jews,

for the Jews had already agreed

that if anyone should confess

Jesus to be Christ,

he was to be put out

of the synagogue.

And so they say,

they deflect the question

to their son.

He is of age.

He means old enough

to bear legal testimony.

Ask him.

And so they call the man back again.

Second time,

it says.

And then,

you would think that they'll have

a different line of questioning,

but they have the exact same

line of questioning.

And they ask him this time,

but when they ask this time,

it's less a question,

it's more a presumption.

They're settled already

in their judgments.

So in verse 24,

they ask forcefully,

give glory to God.

We know that this man

is a sinner.

So they're saying,

in effect,

the verdict is out already.

We know this man

is a sinner.

So fess up.

Confess that this man

is indeed a sinner,

that he didn't do

what you claim he did.

And the man,

it turns out,

is not as cowardly

as his parents,

so he responds humbly,

yet boldly.

Whether he is a sinner,

I do not know.

Well,

one thing I do know,

that though I was blind,

now I see.

The man admits

that he is not

a religious expert,

and he defers

the question

of Jesus' righteousness

to the religious leaders

and authorities.

But he's not going

to compromise

his integrity

and tell them

that what actually happened

didn't happen.

And this interchange

illustrates the power

of personal testimony,

doesn't it?

It doesn't matter

how learned

or authoritative

these Jewish leaders are.

They can do nothing

to dispute this man's

simple testimony.

One thing I do know,

that I was blind,

but now I see.

See, the man is not ready

or equipped

to debate the fine points

of theology

with the Pharisees,

but he can say

with utmost confidence,

I once was blind,

but now I see

because he has experienced it,

because he has tasted

and seen God's grace

and experienced it

in his life.

And that's the same

for all of us.

You might not know

the Bible or theology

as well as a pastor

or a seminary student.

You might not have

any training

in apologetics

to talk to unbelievers

or skeptics,

but every single one of us,

every single one of you,

if you are a true Christian,

know God

and have experienced God

and therefore

with utmost confidence

like this man,

you can say,

yeah, I once was blind,

but now I see.

You can share

your experiences.

And it's not unlike,

you know,

if there's,

imagine,

I'm sure all of us

have a doting parent

or you've seen one

in your life

or a doting grandparent

you've seen in your life,

right?

I mean,

don't grab anyone

that will listen

and talk about

every cute or weird thing

that their granddaughter

or son

or their child

has done, right?

I mean,

they don't need,

they're not waiting

for your permission

to talk about them,

right?

Amen.

Yeah.

And in the same way,

an avid reader,

when they're really

immersed in a good novel,

they're going to talk

to their friends about it,

whether they've read it

or not.

It's natural for us

to share

what we're passionate about.

It's natural for us

to witness to

what we care about.

And why not

the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Why not the greatest news

in the world

that Jesus came

to die for our sins

and that He saved us?

Why not tell people

that we were once

prideful,

arrogant,

living in our own way,

and yet God came

into our lives

and humbled us

and showed us

His grace?

Why not tell people

that I once was addicted

to porn

or to alcohol

and God delivered me

from these sins

and these vices?

Why not tell people

that, you know,

I once was a prideful man

and I once was selfish

with my means

and materialistic,

but God changed me

and He's taught me

the value of generosity

and of treasuring up

my treasures in heaven.

I once was blind,

but now I see

and there's nothing

people can do

to contest that.

It is your story.

It's what God

has done for you.

And juxtaposed

to this formerly blind man's

simple, honest testimony,

the Jewish leaders

ensuing cross-examination

is really an embarrassing sham.

So they ask in verse 26,

what did He do to you?

How did He open your eyes?

But by this point,

the man realizes

this is not

an even-handed jury.

They already have

a prejudgment

and they're not really

asking Him sincere questions.

It's not unlike a lawyer

who's cross-examining

a witness,

a witness whom he already knows

is telling the truth,

yet he still scours

the witness

and asks all kinds

of questions

just to find a loophole

and to make him trip

in his own words

and contradict himself

so that he could

invalidate his testimony.

They're doing

something that's not

unlike that,

continuing to ask

this man these questions.

And so the man,

knowing this,

responds,

but he's not as deferential

as he once was.

So he says in verse 27,

I have told you already

and you would not listen.

Why do you want

to hear it again?

Do you also want

to become His disciples?

That's, I mean,

the sardonic,

there's definitely

an edge to that

question at the end.

And it's obvious

that the man

pricked a sensitive spot

in the Jewish leaders'

egos because

it says in verses 28 to 29

that they reviled him

saying,

you are His disciple

but we are disciples

of Moses.

We know that God

has spoken to Moses

but as for this man,

we do not know

where he comes from.

So some of you

might remember

from chapter 7

what the Jews said

in chapter 7

and this is

flatly contradicting

what they said

in chapter 7

because in chapter 7

Jesus was telling them

that He comes from

the Father in heaven

and that they were saying

that no,

we know exactly

where you come from.

You didn't come from

the Father.

And now they're saying

we have no idea

where he comes from.

So they're just

using what's expedient

to argue against

the claims of Jesus,

to discredit Jesus.

At first,

but what's interesting

is in an ironic way

what they're saying

is true

on both accounts

because on one sense

they do know

exactly where Jesus

came from,

that He was born

of Mary

and that He was

raised in Nazareth.

They know that.

But in another sense

they have no idea

where he comes from,

that He was actually

born in Bethlehem

as the promised Messiah,

that He was born

of a virgin

and that He came

from God the Father.

So what they're saying,

they're saying

contradicting themselves

but ironically

they're telling the truth

on both accounts.

And so the man now

is in disbelief

about the Jewish leader's

stubborn refusal

to accept his testimony

and then he scoffs

at them in verses

30 and 33.

why this is

an amazing thing.

You do not know

where He comes from

and yet He opened

my eyes.

We know that God

does not listen

to sinners

but if anyone

is a worshiper of God

and does His will,

God listens to him.

Never since

the world began

has it been heard

that anyone

opened the eyes

of a man born blind.

If this man

were not from God,

he could do nothing.

So the man

is really appealing

to even their integrity

because he doesn't say

I know

that God

doesn't listen

to sinners.

He says

we know

that God

doesn't listen

to sinners.

We Jews,

we all know this.

You know this.

So their roles

have really been reversed.

So the pupil,

the one that should be

sitting under

their instruction

is now teaching

these men

of authority,

of religious leaders.

And he adds

that no one

could have opened

to someone

who was born blind,

who was blind

from birth.

And this is significant

because there are

few instances

in the Bible

in the Old Testament

of blind being healed

but those were not

people who were

blind from birth.

And in all of

Jewish records

there is no record

of a man

born blind

being healed.

So this really

is the only one.

And so what he's saying

is quite true.

And even according

to modern medicine

it is much more difficult

usually to heal people

who have been born

with blindness.

It's more complex

than someone

who turns blind

usually due to cataracts

or something like that

which is just

with a cataract surgery

you can remove.

And so the Jewish leaders

here can't stand

being lectured

by a man

whom they consider

beneath them.

And so they resort now

to a personal attack

on the man's character.

Verse 34,

you were born

in utter sin

and would you teach us?

And then they cast

him out.

Now that's a really

low blow

from what we know

about the man

because he was born blind.

So there was probably

already an area

that's something

that he's heard

growing up.

You were born blind

because someone sinned

because maybe

your parents sinned

or your sinned.

You were born

in sin.

And so they tell him

you were born

in utter sin.

And ironically,

as they do that,

as they accuse

this man

of being born

in utter sin,

they inadvertently

concede the point

that they've been arguing.

So I guess

this man was born blind

after all.

He was.

And Jesus healed

the man

that was born blind.

And they kicked the man

out of local synagogue.

But as it says,

Jesus says in Matthew 5,

blessed are those

who are persecuted

for righteousness sake.

For theirs is

the kingdom of heaven.

Because though the man

has been cast out,

he is now found

by Jesus.

Though he is rejected

by one community,

now he is accepted

by a new one,

the community of God.

You see this

in verse 35.

Jesus heard

that they had

cast him out.

And having found him,

he said,

do you believe

in the son of man?

So knowing

that this man's faith

is not yet complete,

Jesus takes initiative

to seek him out,

to find him

from among the crowds.

And then he asks him,

do you have faith?

Do you believe

in the son of man?

And so the man

had gone from saying

that Jesus,

the man named Jesus

did this for me,

to saying that

he is a prophet.

And now we see

his profession

after this.

And when Jesus

says the son of man,

he is not saying

that he is merely

a son of man,

that he is just a man.

But he's referring

to this cosmic figure

in Daniel 7,

who is the ultimate

representative of God

among men.

In Daniel 7,

he speaks of one

like a son of man

who approaches God

and receives from God

sovereignty,

glory,

and dominion,

and authority.

And then Jesus

is saying that

he is that son of man,

the ultimate son of man

and representative

of God among men.

And because he has

unique access to God,

he's uniquely able

to reveal God

to the people.

That's why he doesn't say

he is a son of man,

he is the son of man.

The word became flesh,

the son of God

who became the son of man.

And the man asks,

he wants to know,

who is he, sir,

that I may believe in him?

And then Jesus tells him plainly,

you have seen him,

and it is he

who is speaking to you.

Isn't this passage

so beautiful?

It weaves together

just that metaphor

as well as the literal

spliness and sight

in such a seamless way.

And he has now seen him.

This blind man

has seen the Savior,

seen Jesus,

literally,

physically,

and spiritually.

So the man responds

in the only sensible way

we can

after such an amazing revelation.

Verse 38,

he says,

Lord,

I believe,

and he worshipped him.

Now it goes from

the man named Jesus,

the prophet,

to the Lord,

God whom he worships.

He finally recognizes

Jesus for who he is.

And this is amazing

because the man

who was blind from birth

now sees,

both physically

and spiritually,

but the Jewish leaders

who have had sight

their whole life

are spiritually blind

through and through.

And that's the irony

that John's trying to convey.

They are so sure

of their own system,

their own worldview,

their own religion,

yet forgetful

even of the numerous promises

in the Old Testament.

For example,

in Isaiah 42, 7,

that the Messiah

would come to open

the eyes that are blind.

The Savior

that they've been waiting for

is right in front

of their face,

yet they fail

to recognize him

because he doesn't fit

their agenda

and presuppositions.

So Jesus comments

in verse 39,

For judgment,

I came into this world

and those who do not see

may see

and those who see

may become blind.

Those who do not see

are those who admit

their blindness,

who humble themselves

and cling to God.

Those who see

are those who

arrogantly deny

their spiritual blindness.

Those who think

they see,

they don't see.

And Jesus said

he's the light

of the world

and as we know,

light does illuminate,

it brightens,

but light also

always casts

a shadow.

And Jesus

is the light

of the world

and when you turn

to him,

you receive light,

you receive sight,

you're able to see,

but when you turn

from him,

you enter into

the shadow,

the darkness.

That's the judgment

Jesus is speaking of.

The division that

happens wherever

he goes because

as the light

of the world

shines,

a division happens.

Those who dwell

in the shadows

and the darkness

and those who dwell

in the light.

And as he's saying

this to this man

he has healed,

there are some

Pharisees

who are eavesdropping

and so they come

to him

and they object.

Well,

are we also blind?

blind?

They're getting

hotter now

in their questions.

But they can't

fathom the possibility

that they're

spiritually blind.

We are the children

of Abraham.

We have the law

of Moses.

We are the faithful

among God's people.

Are we also blind?

And because

they do not

admit their blindness

but insist

that they can see,

they do not

open themselves

up to the light

of the world

and remain

in their guilt.

That's what Jesus

says here.

If you were blind

you would have

no guilt.

But now that you say

we see,

your guilt remains.

And let me ask you

this question

this morning.

Are you also blind?

Because perhaps

you consider yourself

a believer

but you have

blind spots

in your understanding

of God

and his will.

Maybe you're so

absorbed in your own life

that you give

little thought

to God's plan

and will for you.

Maybe you have

so aligned yourself

with the spirit

of the times

our ever-changing culture

that you find it

impossible to make

room for a God

who demands

sacrificial

and often

counter-cultural

commitments.

Rather than

letting God

and his word

search you

and judge you

you search

and judge

God's word.

You take

what you like

about God

and his will

and whatever

fits your agenda

and assumptions

and then leave

the rest.

Then you are not

very different

from these Pharisees.

who are oblivious

to their own

blindness.

Pastor Tim Keller

at a church

in New York

says this,

if your God

never disagrees

with you,

you might just

be worshiping

an idealized

version of yourself.

Forsake the idols

of yourself

in this world

and when you face

the sneers

and the jeers

and the persecution

of the culture

and you're cast

out of their circle

of respectability,

know that God

himself will seek you out.

He will find you

and you'll find

a new community

and family of God.

Some of you

have not yet

made a decision

to follow Jesus

and to believe in him.

Perhaps you consider

yourself a smart

logical person

and you're so convinced

of your intelligence

and rationality

you can't bring yourself

to accept

the unverified existence

of the supernatural.

But when you say

that you can't believe

in something

unless it's

empirically proven,

you're making a claim

that itself

is not empirically proven.

Who says

that empirical proof

is the only kind

of proof,

is the only

valid criterion

for belief?

Perhaps you consider

yourself a pretty good

moral person

and so you can't

bring yourself

to accept

the humiliating proposition

that you're a sinner

in need of a savior,

that you are blind

spiritually,

and that you need

the light of the world.

But on what

exactly is your

sense of morality

based?

Your understanding

of human rights?

Who gets to define

that?

Apart from God,

where is the proper

basis,

authority behind

morality and human rights?

perhaps you think

of yourself

as a spiritual person.

I've met many people

like this in Cambridge.

Maybe you feel

that you're very

in touch with

the energies,

the spirits,

the forces of nature.

you're so convinced

of your own

spiritual enlightenment

that you can't

bring yourself

to accept

the exclusive proposition

that spiritual life

and salvation

are found in Jesus

Christ alone.

But let me ask you,

how do you know

you're interacting

with the Spirit of God

and not other spirits?

What makes you so sure

that your spiritual compass

is healthy

and functioning properly?

I hope I can just

sow a healthy doubt

in your mind

if this is you

this morning.

Just maybe

there is a possibility

that God has higher

moral standards

and expectations

than you do.

Just maybe

there is a possibility

that God knows things

that you simply

don't know

and can't hope

to understand.

Just maybe

there's a possibility

that your understanding

of the spiritual world

is incomplete

and inadequate.

I adjure you

this morning,

don't be like

the Pharisees

who were so assured

of their sight

that they remained

in their blindness.

Jesus is the light

of the world

who gives sight

but only to those

who recognize

their blindness.

And the light

of Christ

shines most brightly

in the death

and resurrection

of the Son of God

when He lays down

His own life

to atone

for the sins

of people

like us.

So turn to Him.

Look to that light.

Believe in Him

this morning.

And when you do that,

when you open up

yourselves

to the light

of the world,

you will see

that He makes sense

of both the beauty

and brokenness

of this world,

the good and evil

in this world

and the natural

and the supernatural

in this world.

This is what

C.S. Lewis

was speaking of

in his famous statement.

I believe in Christianity

as I believe

that the Son

has risen

not only because

I see it

but because by it

I see everything else.

Jesus

is the light

of the world

who gives sight

to those

who recognize

their blindness

and it's only

by His light

that we can truly see.

Let's pray together.

Thank God.

Thank you.