Blind seeing Seeing blind Deut 29:1-4; Ps 36:1-9; John 9:1-23, 24-41; Eph 5:8-14
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSxxBPxCjc
Part 1 The Blind See
Introduction
The healing of the man born blind in John 9 is a story of extreme contrasts. Firstly, in the structure of John’s Gospel it contrasts the compromised testimony of the crippled man healed by Jesus in John, you might remember he dobbed Jesus in to the authorities, with that of a wretched blind beggar (9:8) transformed by the healing power of Jesus into a powerful witness who will not compromise before the same authorities what he knows about Jesus and becomes a worshipper in Spirit and truth (9:38 cf. John 4:24). He is the opposite of the educated leaders of the Jews who refuse to be taught anything either by Christ or the healed man (9:34). What makes this man’s witness even more powerful is that it is given in the section of the story where Jesus is absent from the dialogue (vv.8-34).
The whole passage is framed by two decisive pronouncements of Jesus, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (9:5), and ““For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”” (9:39). The bright light of God shining through Jesus always polarises people so that they either flee from or flee to him (John 3:19-21), the one light saves and judges, exposing who are the children of light and who are the children darkness (Eph 5:8; 1 Thess 5:5). This makes John 9 a trial scene, of the man born blind, of Jesus because of the man, and of the Jews through Jesus. In the end we will see it puts us on trial concerning our own testimony to Jesus.
Why Blind?
Intriguing as it may be, I don’t want to ponder the question of the disciples, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (9:2). Jesus turns their query into a call to follow him in giving testimony to God, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me…” (9:3-4 cf. John 11:4).
Blind Seeing
Jesus healed many blind people (e.g. Matt 9:27ff; 12:22; 15:30) but what distinguishes this healing is the progressive spiritual transformation of the healed person into a disciple. He first describes Jesus as “a man” (9:11) then later calls him “a prophet” (9:17), then someone “from God” (9:33), then finally, after he sees Jesus with his own eyes he testifies to him as “Son of Man” and “Lord” and “worships” him (9:35-38 cf. John 4:20-24; 12:20-21). The climax of this man’s witness depends upon him faithfully enduring intensifying persecution. What was really at stake in his testimony comes out in his parent’s response to the interrogation the Pharisees.
They confess ignorance of Jesus “(…because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)” (9:22 cf. 12:42; 16:2). Excommunication from the old covenant community is a feature of John’s Gospel, and long remained a cost to be borne by Jews who decided to follow Jesus e.g. theme of the letter to the Hebrews (cf. Rev 2:9; 3:9). In John’s language the man’s parents were intimidated because “they loved the glory/honour/praise that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (12:43).
These Pharisees “know” Jesus is a sinner based on their interpretation of the Law of the Sabbath (9:16, 24, 29 cf. Deut 13:2-6). The healed man knows Jesus is not a sinner based on his experience of healing. When the Jewish leaders admit ignorance of even knowing where Jesus is from (9.29) the cured man is emboldened. “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (9:32-33). His defiance of their authority infuriates the Pharisees (ever had this sort of experience), “You were born in utter sin (because he was blind), and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.” (9:34). Being evicted from synagogue fellowship he was destined to become part of the pool of “sinners” hanging around Jesus (Luke 7:34; 19:7). He gave glory to the Lord by first testifying to God’s works through Christ (9:25-33) and even more by suffering excommunication (9:34 cf. 12:23-24; 21:19) for his confession.
At this point only is it ordained that he see Jesus face to face and enters the final purpose for which he was born blind. ““Do you believe in the Son of Man?”… unhesitatingly the man questions, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”” (9:36-37). Having presented himself to the man physically he enjoys intensified spiritual sight, ““Lord I believe”, and he worshipped him” (9:38). Whatever the difficult circumstances of the first readers of the Gospel, this is the call to them, and us, to worship Jesus as Lord.
Part 2 The Seeing Become Blind
In John’s Gospel the synagogue leaders always reject the testimony of Jesus (7:45; 18:13, 28; 19:4, 13 cf. 8:3). As men self-confident in their own vision (vv. 16, 22, 24, 29, 34) they are stubbornly certain that as a Sabbath Law-breaker Jesus must be a sinner (9:24). They could not contemplate that the grace of God in Jesus had superseded the Law of Moses (John 1:17). They repeatedly ignore the evidence of the miraculous healing to the identity of Jesus as Lord (John 3:13. 21; 6:38, 51; Rom 1:18-22). Powerful blinding forces are at work in all human cultures. E.g. a massive supernova recorded by the Chinese must have been evident to medieval European astronomers, but they failed to record it because it didn’t fit the model of the universe they inherited from the Greeks. For centuries the study of human anatomy bowed to the authority of Roman physician Galen even though he worked on apes. Human beings are far from “objective”.
Concerning these Pharisees Jesus issues one of the most devastating indictments in the Bible, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” (9:39-41).
That God closes and opens eyes is a theme that spans the scriptures: (Deut 29:1-4; Is 6:9–10; 63:17; Mark 4:11-12). Jesus explained to the disciples why he spoke in parables, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” Cf. Acts 28:26–27; Romans 11:8, 10. Where there is enough spiritual knowledge to seek out more illumination but no response a deeper darkness descends on people, where people are drawn to the light of Christ even more illumination is given (Mark 4:25).
This teaching often troubles people. The fundamental issue, I believe, is whether the mystery of spiritual illumination lies with God or with us. My father had no spiritual insight whatever but from when I was about 20 and began to read the Bible I have seen Jesus more and more clearly. Is there something in me that wasn’t in my dad, or is the difference to be found in the mysterious grace of God? If it lies with God, we can do something about it; we can pray! We can surely trust such things to a heavenly Father who gave his only Son for us (Rom 8:32).
Conclusion and Application
There are three categories of people in this story. Firstly, the man born blind who never claims that he has discovered something about Jesus’ identity (9:25, 36). Secondly, the Pharisees who arrogantly claim sure knowledge from their own interpretation of the Law and feel no need of being taught by God (John 6:45). Lest we as Christians be arrogant, we should remember the words of Jesus to the church in Laodicea, “you say…I need nothing” (Rev 3:17). Satisfied with their own condition that they were in danger of being condemned to remain in it. Thirdly, there are the man’s parents who never denied their son’s healing but out of fear fell silent about Jesus.
Speaking broadly, which of these three groups do we most resemble…? We are not like the self-confident legalistic Pharisees. Are we like the fearless man born blind and then healed? In John 9 the Lord said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (9:5), but in the Sermon on the Mount he exhorts us, ““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:14-16). Our inability at St Mark’s to regularly see people come out of dark places and confess Jesus as Lord reveals we aren’t in this category either. What does that leave? We are like the healed man’s parents who know more than they are willing to let on and who need a spiritual healing as dramatic as the transformation of the man born blind.
Hope for such a transformation is found in Jesus’ excited words at another time, , ““I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Luke 10:21). Honestly, St Marks is something of a puzzle, we are not like, to quote an old friend, a church of “middle class smarts” who have no sense of their own personal spiritual ignorance, but we also don’t seem to be like little children (my own grandchildren come to mind, who are like sponges) constantly asking the Lord questions and constantly receiving revelation.
The light of Christ in the gospel (Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:4; 2 Tim 1:10) liberates us to ask for spiritual illumination. Not to ask “God” questions about “God” but in the name of Jesus to ask the heavenly Father questions about his identity and will (cf. James 1:5). I believe the moment we stop asking these questions is the moment we stop growing spiritually. The source of Jesus’ authority to answer these questions for us came from the cross, from his enduring our spiritual blindness and fear of rejection, isolation and loneliness, in his asking that one question which seemed to receive no answer….Mark 15:34…but whose answer came 3 days later in resurrection from the dead. When we enter this space of question-and-answer we will move from being like the blind man’s parents to being like the man blind but now seeing, fearless witnesses to Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.