Sermon following the story of the healing of a blind human being. This is the second epitome story of John after the woman at the well. Here we see the pitfalls and dangers of being made whole in Christ. You may even get kicked out of your religious institution! I mean, not here at Grace, but at other places.
We look at the story from the point of view of the disciples, the neighbors and family, and the Pharisees or religious as ourselves. The hard question of the week is Can you grow in your faith and belief and spiritual practice and not become judgemental, even blasphemous, as you do?
Enjoy.*
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Psalm 23
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
*As before, this story touches on major themes of the Gospel of John. It would be helpful to read the whole thing and see the ties. Two that lie open in Greek but do not translate well are the ἄνθρωπος or human being problem we have seen before and the word worship used in only here and in the woman at the well and again at John 12 when Jesus declares that his hour has arrived after some Greeks came to worship at the feast and sought out Jesus. It also deals heavily in what kind of birth you have (or don"t) i.e. born blind and whose disciple you are or are not. It deals of course here with light and sight at meaning rich signs and not merely physical issues. To read this merely as physical would be to do what everyone does who misunderstands Jesus throughout this Gospel.
