Title: THE EYES OF FAITH
Focus: Recognition of the works of God requires eyes of faith.
Function: To move the people to overcome spiritual blindness by turning to Jesus with childlike trust and obedience.
Text: John 9:1-41
When I was a kid, living in a small town near Rotterdam, we had regular visits each week from the milkman, the baker, and the produce man. The produce man’s horse always fascinated me, because the horse had blinders over its eyes, and the produce man would often dangle a carrot in front of the horse’s nose. The horse would chase the carrot (and thus pull the wagon loaded with vegetables), and the blinders kept the horse from becoming frightened by passing traffic.
As blinders keep horses from seeing clearly, so it is also with people. People with blinders are people who live in the dark. It’s hard to see clearly with blinders on. This is one major reason why we always do well to pray for the Holy Spirit to take our blinders away, to give us light, to give us understanding or eyes of faith to see with and go through life.
Frequently, I meet people who look at me with puzzlement in their eyes, when they discover that I am a Christian and that I believe the Bible’s teachings such as the existence of angels, the reality of miracles, and the notions of virgin birth and resurrection from the dead. Their expressions on their faces seem to say: “How can you, a seemingly rational and well-educated man, believe such nonsense?” They look at me as if I have blinders on. I, on the other hand, am equally puzzled why bright, rational men and women can’t see or believe these Biblical teachings as truth. In other words, I am just as puzzled by the unbelief of my neighbor as my neighbor is puzzled by my faith.
On this fourth Sunday in Lent, as we walk with Jesus toward his cross at Calvary, I declare from the scriptures that recognition of the works of God requires eyes of faith. And I invite us all today to overcome spiritual blindness by turning to Jesus with childlike trust and obedience.
The passage from John 9:1-41 is baffling and delightful—all at the same time. Why on earth would Jesus do such a thing as mixing his spit with dust and then paste it on a blind man’s eyes? Would you let me get away with such a baffling, seemingly gross action if I would do that to you? I doubt it. Yet, today’s story also brings delight, for a blind man receives sight for the first time in his life. And people who have 20-20 vision such as this beggar’s neighbors and spiritual leaders called “Pharisees” end up being exposed as being “blind,” as having blinders on. Consider the passage and its
Our attention in the story moves from Jesus to the blind beggar to his neighbors to the Pharisees to the beggar’s parents, to the Pharisees again, and then, back to Jesus and the healed beggar. All throughout the story, however, Jesus is the focal point; he embodies the work of God. And Jesus illustrates that work of God by means of healing this blind beggar.
So then, the focus of this passage is God’s work; and the focal point is Jesus, God’s Son. And in this context the message becomes clear: recognition of the works of God requires taking off the blinders of unbelief and calls for eyes of faith. Did you notice, for example, the
When the blind man is healed, he goes home. His neighbors don’t know what to make of the miracle of healing, so they ask: (vs. 8) “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” The healed beggar explained to them that (vs. 13) “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. ‘Where is this man? they asked him. I don’t know,’ he said.” Here we see the beginning of a struggle of faith, -- a struggle of seeing God at work in Jesus. And oh, the resistance of the blinders of unbelief!
Note the
involvement of the Pharisees. They are Israel’s spiritual leaders, who think
that they have a clear vision of God’s ways and works in the world. They do not
know what to make of Jesus. They are looking for holes in the beggar’s story
about his new sight, so they asked him how he had received his sight. (vs.15) “He
put mud on my eyes…and I washed, and now I see.”
The Pharisees don’t like this answer because they discovered that Jesus did this very act of mixing spit with dust into a paste on the Sabbath—which is an absolute “no-no” for them. A man of God would not do such a thing, so they thought. Their legalistic understanding of scripture blind-sided them and kept them from believing on Jesus.
Since the
Pharisees could not find any holes in the healed beggar’s story, they called
his parents, hoping to get some answers from them that would enable them to
keep their blinders on. (vs. 19) “’Is this your son?’ they asked. ‘Is
this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’”
The parents are also in the dark. They fear what the Pharisees might do to them if they should give an unsatisfactory answer. So they claim ignorance, saying: “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him….” Now the Pharisees are getting feisty. What to do with our blinders? Do we really have to take them off? Do we really have to let go of our understandings of God’s works and ways? Do we really have to embrace this Jesus and believe his claim that he is the Son of God? Oh, the struggle of faith and unbelief!
The Pharisees call the healed beggar again. They shoot straight from the hip: “Give glory to God. (In other words, come clean and be straightforward). We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner.” The beggar replied: (vs.25) “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
The healed beggar senses that the Pharisees are becoming abusive, so he pushes back and taunts them by saying, “Do you want to become [this Jesus’] disciple too?” The Pharisees insulted him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” Do you sense the struggle of “knowing” and “not knowing”, of facing the reality of a miraculous work of God and not wanting to face that reality?
The climax of the struggle is in the end of the story where the beggar throws a ball of insight at the Pharisees (vs. 30) “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man (this Jesus) were not from God, he could do nothing.” That pinch of salty spiritual wisdom from this unsophisticated beggar hurts. The Pharisees refused to recognize Jesus’ healing miracle as a work of God. They refused to believe Jesus’ claim and words. So they kept on their blinders of unbelief and excommunicated the healed beggar from the synagogue.
At this point the healed beggar still does not know or believe in Jesus. He has some knowledge; he is coming to faith, but his eyes of faith are still dim. He’s come a long ways: When speaking to his neighbors, the beggar says: ”The man they call Jesus….” As the beggar encounters the Pharisees, he sees more clearly who this man called Jesus is. So he says (vs.17) “He is a prophet.” And at the tail end of his encounter with the Pharisees, the beggar says: ”If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” In other words, Jesus is a man of God.
The beggar who has now 20-20 vision eyeballs has come a long way. But he is still somewhat in the dark about Jesus. And it’s then that Jesus looks him up. And Jesus asks him: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.” You see? The blinders are coming off. There is a willingness to open up to Jesus’ claim. And Jesus says: “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
What follows is so moving, it brings tears to your eyes: “Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.” The 20-20 vision man now recognizes the works of God in Jesus. Why? Because his eyes of faith are opened. And he worships Jesus.
Do you want eyes of faith? Do you want to get rid of that blinder called “unbelief”? Do you want clarity and clear vision in this season of Lent as you contemplate the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Take note of this blind beggar:
Sometimes the eyes of faith grow dim. And then we struggle with doubt. Maybe you are a doubter today. Maybe you are cynical or skeptical about Jesus and his claims. Maybe God has been looking into your eyes this week, confronting you with a miracle, or with a truth as large as a cow, but you have been resisting Him trying to keep your blinders of unbelief in place. Maybe you have been looking for answers in the wrong places, because you stared yourself blind on the promises and lures of wealth, prestige, or stature. Or maybe you were only looking to yourself to make sense out of life and to overcome the challenges of life. Or maybe….
Never mind! Receive the eyes of faith, as God’s gift to you today. How? Respond with childlike trust and obedience to Jesus’ words; listen to his claims; declare or profess him Lord; and worship him. Then you’ll see—and welcome and celebrate the saving work of God in your life.
Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!