Who's Blind Now ?

I have my own thoughts about Christianity.  Rightly or wrongly, I have in my mind what constitutes Christianity.

I do NOT, however, know the mind of God.  No one does.  As the prophet Isaiah (55:8) says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”.

But sometimes humans, ancient and modern, slip into thinking that they actually do know how God chooses to do God’s work.

How God wants things done. So … Who’s blind there?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome, sisters and brothers, and peace be with you. May the words on my lips and the meditations in our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. Let me tell you a story about not one, but two, two blind men who had both been healed by Jesus. They happened to meet one day, and each was so excited to meet someone else who had been healed. They talked about the wonder and the power of having seen the face of Jesus. They were laughing and having a great time together when one of them said And do you remember how Jesus took spit, made mud and put it into your eye? The other man looked quite stunned and answered Why no? He just said Receive your sight, and I could see. The first man said wait a minute you mean he didn't use any mud? No. Well, did he at least have you wash in the pool of Siloam? No, of course not. Whoever heard of anything as ridiculous as mud in your eye washed off in a pool. Well, said the first man, if he didn't put mud in your eyes and have you wash in the pool of Siloam, you are still blind. Blind do you hear me? Because that's the way that Jesus healed me. That's the way he does it. Then the second man began to get angry. And he shouted Mud Mud Who ever heard of using mud? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You still have mud in your eyes, you're the one who's still blind. They got into a big argument, their relationship was destroyed, and right then and there they formed the first two denominations the Mudites and the Anti Muddites. My fictional story illustrates how easily human frailty produces division. We forget how far more unites us than can ever divide us. So who's blind now? The story from John chapter nine verses one to forty one is long and detailed, a tapestry so rich in its teaching that there really is no way that a single sermon can do it justice. The disciples ask questions about the sin and fault and blame behind the man's lack of sight. So who's blind now? There is the beauty when Jesus tells his disciples and us that God did not make this man blind as a punishment. This particular blind man has come to us so that they and us can be made to see. So who's blind now? The investigation and stiff necked resistance to change of the Pharisees Yes, each time the Pharisees look at Jesus they see nothing. They were looking with the eyes of their religious authority, not with the eyes of faith. So who's blind now? The Pharisees and others who witness first hand the Christ were faced with the signs and wonders of God incarnate in their lives, and yet couldn't see who and what Jesus was. So who's blind now? Actually, I don't want to be overly harsh on the Pharisees because I'm sure that most of them were good men, well meaning men, who spent their lives devoted to their faith, trying to protect their beliefs and practices. But when Jesus came, he changed the world. They didn't want to see that change. They didn't want to accept that change. Even though that change had come from God. But then again, how about people today? How about those folks who say we can't do that here because we have always done it this way? Or I don't want to do it that way, so I'm not going to listen to you or I want it done my way, and I'm not going to change. Isn't that resistance to any sort of change just what those Pharisees ranted and raved about? What if just what if some of these completely different approaches to the way we do things are also coming from God? I can almost hear people say this is tough for us to face. We're good people. We try to follow the rules and get a handle on what it is that God wants from us. We try and struggle to do the right things, so David, please, please, don't tell us that doing and or accepting something completely different might also be from God. But that's what's really important here. It's important to embrace both tradition and change. And remember we don't have to select the either or I have my own thoughts about Christianity rightly or wrongly. I have in my mind what constitutes Christianity. I do not, however, know the mind of God, no one does. As the Psalmist says, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and we cannot attain to God's thoughts. But sometimes humans, ancient and modern slip into thinking they know how God chooses to do God's work. Who's blind now? But what I do know to paraphrase the gospel of Luke chapter four eighteen, the Spirit of the Lord is upon us because He has anointed us to proclaim the good news. He sends us to proclaim the regaining of sight to the blind, to first and foremost proclaim the kingdom of God. So take up the challenge, spread the good news, try to understand and accept those who do things differently and bring sight to the blind, and to God will be the glory. Ironga Itengoa Oteatua te matua tama metewaru Amine.