The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, March 19, 2023 — Fourth Sunday in Lent

 

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Fourth Sunday in Lent

God’s Vision is Broad and Vast
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Opening Statement

When we see clearly, our lives are transformed. But seeing God clearly, recognizing Christ, and perceiving the anointing of God requires the work and light of the Holy Spirit. When we have the light of the Spirit, we see God and understand things more fully, we see others with the eyes of Christ. God does not value us for what we look like. God sees into our hearts and knows what we feel and believe. Anyone can be called by God to achieve greatness. And everyone is cared for by the Good Shepherd, who gives us all that we need. For we are all “children of light,” created by the One who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. Yet, we are also all blind and in need of healing so that we might be the sight of God, clear and undistorted by our sin, our hurts, our agendas, and our prejudices. The light of the world shines, and the darkness that is in the world has not overcome it—not in our individual lives, not in our collective lives, not in the history of the world as a whole. The light will not be extinguished. We must let it shine through us!

Opening Prayer
(adapted from Ephesians 5, John 9)

Gracious God, who created us in God’s own image, we are grateful for all that you have done for us, for all that you are doing in us, and for all that you will do through us. Open our eyes to see your presence among us, moving in powerful ways at all times and in all places. Open our ears to hear familiar words in new ways—ways that will change us and challenge us to become the people you created us to be. Grant us the power and the courage to come out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus Christ, that we may serve you by serving others. We love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.

The Collect
(from the Book of Common Prayers)

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.

Call to Confession
(adapted from 1 Samuel 16, Ephesians 5, John 9)

Forgiving God, in a world filled with so much pain, we would rather shut our eyes and be blind than see things as they really are. Grant us the courage to face the reality of our world, and give us the strength to bring your light to those who walk in darkness. Help us see others as you see them, and forgive us when we do not trust you enough to open our eyes to the possibilities before us. Heal our self-inflicted blindness, O God, and lead us in the footsteps of the Light of the World, who reveals your glory in his life, his teachings, and his love. In his holy name, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
(adapted from Psalm 23)

Christ came to lead us in paths of righteousness and to guide us through our lives. Christ is with us in times of danger and times of peace. The goodness and mercy of God are given to us each and every day of our lives. God forgives us for our failings, upholds us in love, and leads us to the place that Christ has prepared for us. Believe in your heart that God loves you and forgives you. We believe! God help our unbelief!

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

When we are in a union with Christ, the Holy Spirit’s primary responsibility is to produce His likeness in us. He teaches us how to be totally dependent upon God, which then produces an overflow of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in us. We cannot genuinely produce these qualities on our own because our sinfulness mars them. However, when we are completely reliant upon the Lord and obey the promptings of His Spirit, they flow from us freely and draw other people to Him.

Today’s Lectionary Readings:
From the Historical Books
1 Samuel 16:1-13
David is chosen and anointed

16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 23
My head anointed with oil
Dominus regit me

1 The LORD is my shepherd; *
  I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
  and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
  and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I shall fear no evil; *
  for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those
    who trouble me; *
  you have anointed my head with oil,
    and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
    of my life, *
  and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Lord Jesus, risen from the dead and reigning forevermore. We praise You and honor You this day for Your great sacrifice in our behalf. You left Your heavenly throne for us, and not only walked through the life we live daily, fighting spiritual foes and temptations common to us, but for the joy set before You died the shameful death of hanging of a cross. We trust You with our hopes and future, knowing as Your first disciples understood, that there is no one other than You to whom we can reasonably and faithfully go for everlasting life. Amen.

From the Epistles
Ephesians 5:8-14
Live as children of light

5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

   “Wake up, sleeper,
      rise from the dead,
      and Christ will shine on you.”

Gospel Acclamation
(John 8:12)

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Today’s Gospel Reading
John 9:1-41
The man born blind

9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Here end the Readings

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

• We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

• And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

• And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Communion

A nondenominational serving of bread and wine

Though no video can truly replace the experience of celebrating together in our places of worship, we know that where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present. This table is open to all who recognize Jesus Christ as healer and redeemer. This table is open to all who work to bring God’s Kingdom here on earth. No one is turned away because of life circumstances. No one is barred from this table. No one seeking God’s abundant grace and mercy is turned aside. We see before us the abundance that a life of faith offers as we respond to God’s everlasting mercy in prayer and deed.

Benediction
(adapted from Ephesians 5:9-14)

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light! Seek that which is good and right and true, and try to live in a way that pleases God. Look to the light of God’s love shown to us in Jesus. Do not hide from it or ignore the struggles of the world but awaken to God’s call. Arise, O sleeper, and Christ will give you light!

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighborhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets].

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, March 19, 2023
Fourth Sunday in Lent
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

“If You Know Just One Thing” The Gospel Message forSunday, March 19, 2023 — Fourth Sunday in Lent

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 9th chapter of John, beginning with the 1st verse, “The man born blind.”

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

“Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

Then they hurled insults at 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.”

The man answered, “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 person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (John 9:1-41)

In the light of God, all is made clear. We see how much God loves us and how much God loves all people. We see Christ, the Light of the World, in Scripture and in our lives; and although we once were blind, now we see!

“If You Know Just One Thing”

The Gospel of John is a beautiful book. Its 21 chapters are organized a little differently than the others. He tends to group themes together so that the reader can see the theological connections between events, places, and the teachings of Christ. As much as I enjoy John, I have never spent much time with the passage (the whole of chapter 9) we have today. And I don’t know why!

Obviously, something very important is going on here. Not that John divided his Gospel into chapters when he wrote it (scholars did that much later). Still, there is something to be said that in a book of 21 chapters, which summarizes the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Christ, a WHOLE chapter is devoted to this one event.

It is also just a delight to read. When you are aware of the constant struggle that Jesus had with the Pharisees in his earthly ministry and Jesus’ mission and purpose for coming into the world, this account really comes alive. And this account is also just full of life, humor, and challenge while being very poignant. So I thought we might do something a little different today. Seeing as we have a lot of verses to cover, I believe we’ll just go over these verses and enjoy them together.

As we start our reading, we understand that Jesus has just been confronted by the Pharisees (the spiritual leaders and law). If they had actually listened to the words, they would have understood that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. This did not go over well, as we read in the last verse of Chapter 8, “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”

So we start with our verses, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” This question gives us a lot of insight into the religious thinking of the day. It was a pretty basic premise. If you are good, then good things will happen to you. If you are bad, watch out. So if that is true, then the reverse must also be, right? If I see that something good happens to you, I can conclude that you are doing well with your faith and life. And if I see something bad happen to you, you must be hiding something or falling down in your faith in some major way.

This way of thinking isn’t exactly confined to Jesus’ day. All the way back to the book of Job, we see how his friends are convinced he had done SOMETHING to deserve all the pain and misery heaped upon him. If you turn on your TV to a religious channel, you won’t have to look too hard to see some blowhard excitedly proclaiming that if you only give money to him, God will unleash a flood of cash upon you!

In some ways, it would be great if it were so simple! But you know, many of you are better than me. It just doesn’t work that way. I think of so many people, faithful, God-fearing, forgiven, and redeemed sinners, who have suffered so much—losing loved ones, facing unemployment, terrible diseases, and even the coronavirus that’s going around today. These aren’t the direct result of some sin, but indeed the sinful and fallen condition of life in this world in which we live. There aren’t simple answers! The Teacher of Ecclesiastes knows this well, “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc. 9:11).

So Jesus does not entertain the question like the disciples would expect. “Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then Jesus immediately sets about displaying the work of The Light of the World in this man. “After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

With simple means (spit, dirt, water from a pool), Jesus sent him away to wash and came back seeing! This is more than a medical miracle. This was a life transformation like we can’t imagine. Soon after he was born, this man’s parents (whom we will meet in just a bit) would have been so heartbroken to learn that their son would be disabled. There were no therapists, seeing-eye dog programs, or government programs available to help him. He would be destined to be a beggar, to seek out a subsistence living for the remainder of his life. On top of all this, instead of first being compassionate, people would question what he or his parents had done to deserve this terrible fate. Can you imagine!

The next section made me laugh when I picture it being played out. “His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

Can’t you see it? People were arguing back and forth. “This is HIM!” “No way, it couldn’t be!” the whole time he stood, they were saying, “HEY, I’m right HERE. It’s me, I promise!” They ask him how it could be, and he just says what happened: “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” ‘Where is this man?’ they asked him. ‘I don’t know,’ he said.”

Well, this obviously wasn’t a good enough answer for them, so they called in the “big guns.”

“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

And here, we begin to see one of the main points of this account. For as blind as this guy was, who was born not able to see, we begin to see how much worse it is to be spiritually blinded. And this is precisely how we are to see these Pharisees. What is their primary concern upon hearing that this guy was miraculously healed? Not “wow, that is so wonderful!” or “tell me what it’s like to see for the first time!” Or, “please tell me more about this man who did this!” No, for many of them, their main concern is, “you mean to tell me this guy did this on the SABBATH DAY when no one is supposed to WORK! How dare he!” First off, Jesus wouldn’t break the Commandment. What he did violate were the rules about the Sabbath that the PHARISEES had made, not the laws God made. Secondly, aren’t we missing the point just a bit here?

So finally they ask the man what he thinks. And quite plainly, the man, not knowing completely yet who Jesus is, acknowledges at least that he must be from God! Again, such plain truth will not be tolerated. So the Pharisees work another angle. Let’s talk to his parents! This was tricky, as John tells us, “His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.” Understand that this didn’t just mean they weren’t allowed in the building or the worship service, but that their society would shun them. Terrifying thought! So they only relate the facts, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees, we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

When are these Pharisees going to get the point? Just leave it alone, or better yet, be happy for the guy and try to find out more about this Jesus guy. But Jesus threatens their assumptions, notions about themselves, self-righteousness, self-made rules, and status in society. Jesus tends to do this to all of us, you know! But these Pharisees are so blinded by all that they have made and found comfort in that even the simple truth won’t convince them.

And in the subsequent interaction (which made me laugh for the second time), we see the pure folly of refusing to see the truth. They call this formerly blind man in AGAIN. And they lean into him pretty hard with a leading statement, “Give glory to God by telling the truth. We know this man is a sinner.” Thinking about their status, they once again focus on getting this man to condemn Jesus (this is their primary concern; once again, the healing isn’t even on their minds!).

This poor man, for all that he lacks and all the knowledge he doesn’t have, is armed with the truth. And with this truth, he once again utterly disappoints his inquisitors, “He answered, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” You might not be concerned with my healing, but I sure am! Try arguing with my eyes! The frustration on behalf of the Pharisees begins to rise: “They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

They have no idea what they are getting into. This quiet, lowly beggar is silent no more! “He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’” Was he being serious or poking and prodding them? Either way, Oh, boy, here we go! “Then they hurled insults at 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.’” They actually think calling this guy a follower of Christ is an insult when it’s the nicest thing they could ever say of the man. They also show how ignorant they are of what Moses actually preached, taught, and proclaimed—that the Messiah was coming!

The Pharisees, in their ignorance, say, “WE KNOW.” And this man, in all his supposed ignorance, calls them to the carpet: “The man answered, ‘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 person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’”

Having nothing to answer back, the Pharisees take us all the way back to the beginning of the story. They attack this man as having suffered because he was sinful. “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Think about this. The religious leaders throw this man out. This man who had nothing. Who had just experienced a miracle. They throw him out because he won’t play their game. After all, he won’t just shut up and go along because he won’t sacrifice what he knows to be true in order to keep up their illusion of righteousness. And here, we get to see such a drastic contrast. When the Pharisees throw this guy out, the Savior seeks him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Jesus proclaims the truth of who he is with the same lips that healed this man. And this man who had nothing finds that this Jesus has come to give him more than physical sight. He has come to remove the blinders in his soul from all that God offers him. All that is truly good and eternal and perfect and holy. And this man sees this truth and does the only appropriate thing. He worships his God.

The Pharisees reject this call, preferring the comfort of their blinders, the false security of their man-made laws, their status, and their vast knowledge of the Scriptures (even while being ignorant of their main point). Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

So much we could talk about. But there are a couple of points we need to take with us today. First off, let’s understand who is truly blessed in this story. It isn’t the people who are so self-reliant and self-sufficient, and self-righteous. The one who is blessed is the one who has no hope on his own, the beggar who in no way can earn anything for himself, the one who has to rely entirely upon the mercy of God—not only to see him, to recognize him but to heal him.

This is our case, as well. We suffer something worse than some kind of physical ailment. The Apostle Paul accurately describes our condition as one of darkness, of being “Dead in our trespasses and sins.” Dead, with nothing to offer, incapable of making any kind of move toward God or even accepting his mercy and grace. And yet, he saw us, and on the cross, he healed us of our sin. He took what was utterly broken in us and made us whole by taking our sins from us and paying for them in whole.

What we are left with is a simple truth. A beautiful truth of forgiveness and new life in Christ’s death and resurrection. And for all that, the world around us claims to know. We claim to know one thing and one thing only. As Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 2:1-2) “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Or, as the beggar said,

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

Let us pray: Lord of life, we surely are a stubborn people. We wail and whine about the darkness that seems to claim our lives, yet we persist in creating that darkness to cover our mistakes and our misdeeds. You are merciful and will pardon and heal us. But we are afraid because we cannot forgive ourselves for our own transgressions. Help us let go of the need to hide and punish ourselves continually. Free us from the angry spirit that dwells so deeply in us and in our land. Give us courage and confidence to be people of love, hope, and peace; for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Sermon contributed by Rev. Matt Hoffmann.
In a world where so many people know so much, it's good to be reminded of what is most important to know. This is summarized in John 9 by the words of the beggar who was healed:  “One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see.”

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, March 19, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, March 19, 2023

In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’
Romans 9:26, NIV

Lord our God, we thank you that you have called us your children, a people who may serve you even in suffering and temptation. Grant that the grace of Jesus Christ may be in us so that we can be victorious over everything that life puts in our way and can withstand the distress that surrounds so many people. O Lord our God, our only refuge, to you alone can we appeal for evil to end and for the victory of Jesus Christ to break through. In that hour we shall rejoice and be glad as your people. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, March 19, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, March 19, 2023

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

When we are in a union with Christ, the Holy Spirit’s primary responsibility is to produce His likeness in us. He teaches us how to be totally dependent upon God, which then produces an overflow of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in us. We cannot genuinely produce these qualities on our own because our sinfulness mars them. However, when we are completely reliant upon the Lord and obey the promptings of His Spirit, they flow from us freely and draw other people to Him.

Read all of Galatians Chapter 5

Listen to Galatians Chapter 5

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Travel the World from Home — Galilee Region: The Unexpected Base of the Messiah

 

The Holy Land:

Connecting the Land with Its Stories

Galilee Region: The Unexpected

Base of the Messiah

Season 3 — Episode 5

 

How can a place that struggled so long to understand who God was now help us understand who He is?

“The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories” Season 3 is a nine-episode series hosted by Dr. John (Jack) Beck that takes you to the Jordan River Valley systems to experience the land, the culture, and the customs that surround the sacred stories of the Bible.

In the 5th episode of “The Holy Land” Season 3, journey with Dr. Jack Beck to the Sea of Galilee, as well as Capernaum and Magdala, to learn how this small region played a big role in Jesus’ ministry.

Season 3 — Episode 5 | Galilee Region: The Unexpected Base of the Messiah