S. Lent 4.08 John 9:1-41

There’s some people in the bible you’d really like to meet, hang out with, buy ‘em a cup of coffee, and have a nice long talk. If we had time machines, I suppose all of the apostles, even the lesser ones (like James the Less, what a great name!) would have long lines of folks bunched up to do exactly that. And that would probably mess up the whole biblical story which is why time travel is better for stories than real life.

One guy who’d probably have a short line of admirers, but with whom I’d really like to talk, is this man born blind. I like the guy. I like his sense of humor. His irony. His tell it like it is bluntness. Most of all I like it that when he is given something good, he will hang on to it, no matter what the consequences. He shows how you “get Jesus” wonderfully well. I think he’d be good company.

Christianity is very egalitarian that way. You don’t have to be famous. You don’t have to come from an illustrious family. You don’t have to be a religious or philosophical genius. You don’t have to be powerful. You don’t have to be rich—to be somebody in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus. You can be just an average Joe, even a below-average Joe, an anti-Lake-Woebegone Joe, a disadvantaged Joe with more problems than most Tom, Dicks, or Harries, and still be somebody, even somebody special in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus. Which is why I like this Kingdom so much. I suspect there just might be a place in it for me. Surely there’s a place for you there.

The man born blind shows how you get a place, a special place, a lead character sort of place in the Kingdom of Christ. It’s something worth knowing and he’s a splendid teacher.

First of all, you start out with nothing going for you. No special talents or skills. In fact, if you have some disability that holds you back, all the better. Starting with less than most people have is a great place to start with Jesus. The man born blind has less. He’s blind. That’s a big handicap in the ancient world. There was no Braille then, no schools for the blind, no vocational training that could help you to find a marketable skill. All you could do was sit and beg and that’s a tough way to make a buck.

Worse still, you are an example of ridicule and speculation for all the “normal” folks. Even Jesus’ apostles were not above this. They were kind of impressed with themselves that Jesus had made them apostles and everything, so they figure they better sharpen up on the big questions and hone their theological chops. So they are having one of these sophomore in college “problem of evil” debates. And they see this man born blind and what a great example of the old problem of evil! So right in front of the guy (like he’s not even a human being with feelings or anything) they point to him (he can’t see, so he’s not going to notice he’s being used for a philosophical debating point, right?) and they go to Jesus, “Hey! Jesus! Who sinned this guy or his parents that he was born blind? Because someone must have messed up for him to be this way, right?”

Jesus takes the question right in stride. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” There by the way, is the answer to the problem of evil. Why do bad things happen in this sinful world to so many of us so often if a loving God is in charge? Well, so that He can reveal His awesome and mighty works in us by saving us from our sins and woes and cares. It was our desire, our hankering for sin that brought evil, anyway. God uses it as the dark background that makes His light stand out. So that the blind (like us) can see the true light of the world at last. That’s Jesus’ answer, at least.

To make the point and because the guy can hear after all and shouldn’t be treated like an object lesson, Jesus turns, without the man asking for anything and spits on the ground, makes mud with His spit and rubs it in the man’s eyes. (The origin of the phrase “Here’s mud in your eye?” who knows?)

Now this is what I like about this man born blind. He isn’t complaining about his lot. He doesn’t object that the disciples talk about him instead of to him. He’s blind to all the slights and slurs around him. And when Jesus spits and rubs mud in his eyes, he doesn’t complain. He goes to the pool of Siloam and washes like Jesus says. And suddenly he can see. Perfectly. 20/20. And that’s pretty cool. Light of the world indeed.

Lots of people bug the man born blind about this. How did he get his sight? Laser surgery? Lens implants? Contacts? No? “No, this Jesus guy came, stuck mud in my eye, told me to wash, and I see.” The religious types, the Pharisees get wind of it and they interrogate the guy several times. He sticks to the simple, factual account of what happened. They want him to speculate who Jesus is. The man says he supposes He must be a prophet since He does the miracles the old prophets used to do.

The Pharisees get ticked. They don’t like Jesus and they want to punch holes in the man’s story. A more caring, less blunt person would just buckle. But the man born blind tells the truth, straight, no chaser. And when he’s asked the fourth time what happened he lets fly with the irony: “I told you and you didn’t listen! Maybe you want to be His disciples too?” And they go off on the guy and tell him what a terrible sinner this Jesus is and the man born blind throws it right back, “God doesn’t listen to sinners! If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” And they threw the man born blind out of the synagogue. Excommunicated, shunned him.

So now the guy is really an outcast. No job, no chance to beg anymore, no friends, no happy church home. But he’s got his sight. Jesus finds him and asks if he believes in the Son of God and the man born blind, in his straightforward, appealing way says “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus says: “you’ve seen Him and are talking with Him.” And the man born blind (who now sees) worships Him on the spot.

Which is why Jesus came.

How do you see? 20/20? When you look at the world do you see cruelty, evil, injustice and obstacles that keep you from getting all you want and deserve? Or are you blind to that? Do you see only, by the light that shines from Christ’s cross, a darkness in you and in the world that is everywhere being overcome by the light of Jesus’ gifts, His mercy, love, forgiveness?

This is why Jesus came: so that where others see evil and suffering as an insoluble problem, we are blind to everything but Christ’s light that shines more brightly because of that. Jesus’ light is the sort only the hobos, bums, and beggars like the man born blind can see. The beautiful people, the noble and proud are simply blinded by the glare of His forgiveness. Jesus’ light shines brightest in the darkness of the cross through Gospel word and sacrament.

God grant us blindness like the man born blind; and light to see what he saw—and the peace that surpasses understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Always. Amen.