John 9:1-41
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Jesus he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” Thus far our text.
Dear friends in Christ. Can you even imagine being born blind? Can you imagine having never seen the light of the sun as it lays across the snowy plains of North Dakota? Can you imagine having never seen the face of your mother or father, or even of your husband or wife? Can you imagine not being able to see anything at all, and living for years and years with this ailment. But for the man in our text, one day, his entire life changes. One day the darkness that he has been living in, suddenly comes to a close. For one day, Jesus walks by. Jesus who makes blind men to see.
Jesus comes to this man, and spits in the dirt, and mixes it together with his finger and then puts it on the eyes of the blind man, telling him to go and wash, and that in his washing he will be able to see again. How easy it would be to say, “Get your nasty muddy dirty spit off of my Jesus. That is gross.” How easy it would be to say, “Yeah right, I just go and wash, and then I can see? Go back to the funny farm.” But the man does not say these things, instead, he goes, washes, and what Jesus said would happen, happens.
Friends, you and I are so very like the blind man in our text, for there are so many things that we do not see. There are many things that we do not notice, or that we try to ignore, and most of them have to do with sin. We don’t see the selfish pride within ourselves. We don’t see the hate and murder within our own hearts. We don’t see the pain and hurt of others. In fact, we are so blind to these things, we go on like they don’t even exist at all.
But even though we are often blind to our own sin, we are often really good at identifying other people’s problems aren’t we? “Oh Pastor, did you know that so and so did this?” Or maybe, “Did you hear what John Doe said about Jane to Jack and Jill?” Yes, we are very good at seeing when someone else has done something wrong, and when someone else has publically sinned. And because we are blind to our own sin, when we see these sins in others, it is easy for us to laugh and to say, “Well, at least I know I am better than So and so over there. At least I know I am a Christian, as opposed to all of those other people over there.
Friends we are blind. Friends we are just as bad of sinners as any person you could ever meet on the face of this earth. We – yes you and me – have fallen short in our thoughts and our words and our deeds, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are guilty, even as we are so often blind to see.
In our text, some of the Pharisees don’t want to admit that they too are blind, that they too cannot see either their sin or the way that their sin affected those around them. Jesus says, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” And those Pharisees ask, “Are we blind?” Are we really sinners Jesus? Are we really guilty? Do we really go against your word and trust in our selves. Do we really avoid looking at our own sin, even as we see the sin of others so clearly? Friends, yes. We are blind, we are sinners, for Jesus has come only for the blind and for sinners like you and me.
Jesus has come to heal the blind, he has come to give them sight. But Jesus does not heal you and me with just spit and mud. Jesus doesn’t just get his hands a little dirty to open your eyes to your sin –and open your eyes to your savior. Jesus goes the whole way. Jesus opens your eyes with blood, blood that has poured out from his hands and his side. Blood that flowed out from his bloody and beaten body. Blood for you. Blood for your blindness. Blood so that you might see the truth forgiveness in Jesus.
And Jesus doesn’t call you to wash in the pool of Siloam, or in a bath tub or shower. Jesus calls you to wash in the baptismal font, so that blood may come to you. That is why we are baptized, to receive the blood of Jesus, the blood that opens our eyes so that we know we are sinners, and more importantly, so that we will know our Savior, and what he has done for our sin.
Coated in blood. It sounds gross doesn’t it? Just as gross as Jesus spitting in dirt and rubbing it on a man’s eyes. But that blood on you is so important. Because as you are covered in that blood, when God looks at you, he doesn’t see a blind sinner, wandering about not sure what he is doing. But when God looks at you he sees that blood that covers you. And in that blood he sees the sacrifice that took place for you as Jesus died on the cross. When God looks at you, he sees Jesus’ blood for your forgiveness.
What a blessing, to be washed in baptismal waters, to be covered in the blood of Jesus. And now, to come here to this altar and drink that blood to feed that faith. For as you come here today, know that your sins are borne by Jesus. Your sins are carried away, and now you receive forgiveness life and salvation.
Friends, you have all heard the hymn Amazing Grace, we even sang it here yesterday. Amazing Grace, because I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. Friends, we do see, we see the Son of God lifted up, and pouring out his blood for you. When you see that, you know you have forgiveness, life and salvation. Amen.
