/And going along, He (Jesus) saw a person blind out of birth. And His
disciples were asking Him, saying, "My Great One, who sinned, this one
or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, neither this
one sinned nor his parents, but so that the works of God be shown in
him. It's necessary for us to work the works of the One Who sent me
while it is day; night is coming when no one is able to work. Whenever
I'm in the world, I am a light of the world." Having said these things
He spat to the ground and made mud out of the spit and anoints the mud
upon his eyes and He said to him, "You go, wash in the Siloam pool
(which is translated: "sent on a mission"). Then he went away and washed
and returned, seeing!... They bring him to the Pharisees, the one once
blind. And it was a Sabbath in the day Jesus made the mud and opened his
eyes. Again, then, the Pharisees were also asking him how he sees again.
And he said to them, "He put mud upon my eyes and I washed and I see."
Then, some of the Pharisees were saying, "This person is not from God
because the Sabbath He does not guard." And others were saying, "How
does a person, a sinner have ability to do such signs?" And there was
division among them. They say, then, to the blind man again, "What do
you say concerning him, because he opened your eyes?" And he said, "That
he is a prophet"...They answered and said to him, "In sin you were
wholely born, and do you teach us?" And they threw him out. Jesus heard
that they threw him out and having found him, He said to him, "Do you
yourself believe in the Son of Man?"That one answered and said, "And who
is he, Lord, in order that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him,
"You have both seen Him, and the one speaking with you, that One is He!"
And he said, "I believe, Lord!" And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said,
"Into judgement I Myself into this world came, so that the ones not
seeing will see, and those seeing will become blind." /
You feel badly for this man, born blind. But don't think you are better
off than he. You're just like him. Your eyes probably worked well, but
you were born blind all the same. From your beginning, you were
spiritually blind. You couldn't see Jesus as your Savior any more than
this blind man...until Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of Man to him &
he believed it. By faith alone you see Jesus your Savior.
You were born spiritually blind for the same reason this man was–in sin
you were wholely born. Like David confesses in Psalm 51, in sin his
mother conceived him. You too. Born a sinner, you were estranged from
God your heavenly Father from the get-go. You needed a miracle to be
able to see Jesus as your Savior. You could not by your own reason or
strength believe in Jesus as your Lord.
But the Holy Ghost called you by the Gospel to faith. He said, "Jesus,
your Lord & Savior died on the cross for you!" and your ears perked up.
He said, "Look to the cross where Christ took your place & your
punishment, all so you could have His place in heaven & the eternal
rewards He earned." Then the eyes of your faith opened to see Jesus for
the first time as both your Lord and your Savior!
Like this blind man, you have your rough patches in life too. You may
not have lost eyesight, but you've had physical ailments, financial
problems, relationship difficulties and other challenges to your faith.
You might be tempted to think, "I must have offended God, now He's
punishing me." You might wonder, "I've not done anywhere near the amount
of good works God expects of me, and He's mad."
But your heavenly Father isn't mad at you or punishing you. For like
that blind man you're washed... in your baptism. You are now holy &
righteous in God's sight, because you are cleansed of all your sins,
your filthy bath-water poured out on Jesus who became wholely-sinful in
your place on the +. God has made you His Own baptized child, to see
yourself as God now does through the eyes of your faith.
People who use their own notions about Jesus, get a not very accurate
result. The pharisees used their own not-so-enlightened thinking,
concluding Jesus was a sinner. The blind man figured Jesus was just a
prophet. Your own seeking with regard to Jesus will never, ever lead you
to the truth. No one seeks Jesus. You are lost sheep. You have no way of
finding your way back to the fold.
Jesus the Good Shepherd seeks out lost sheep, just like He did for this
formerly blind man. You don't have to come to him. He finds you. Jesus
comes to you with His body given, and with His blood shed for you for
your forgiveness. He feeds you with Himself in the Lord's Supper, comes
to lead lost sheep to the green pasture of the feast of the Lord's
Table–Holy Communion.
Your blindness is gone. No, not by mud in your eye like the blind man.
But by a miracle nonetheless. Calling you to faith by the Gospel, the
Holy Spirit has given you the eyes of faith, to recognize Jesus in His
gracious works in word & sacrament. You see yourself by faith washed
clean by the waters & words of your baptism. You view yourself as one
who worships Jesus, bowing to the knee to eat His body and to drink His
blood for your forgiveness, life and salvation. Amen.
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
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