“While I am in the world,
I am the light of the world.”
 

Four preachers were having a theological argument.  Three were in agreement with each other when of them said, “three to one majority rules.”  The preacher who lost the argument knew in his heart he was right so he appealed to God. “O God!” he cried. “ I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong! Please give me a sign to prove it.” As soon as the preacher finished his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the clear blue sky and rested overhead.  It rumbled loudly and dissolved.  “A sign from God!” The odd preacher out exclaimed. “I am right!”  The other three preachers disagreed.  So the preacher prayed again, “Oh God, I need a bigger sign!”   This time four large storm clouds appeared out of nowhere. They rushed toward them and a bolt of lightning slammed into a nearby tree.  “I told you that I was right!” cried the preacher, but his friends disagreed.  The preacher was getting ready to beg God for a very big sign, “O God…” the sky turned black, the earth shook and a deep booming voice proclaimed, “HE’S RIGHT!”  The preacher who was deemed to be wrong by his colleagues turned and said, “Well?”  “So,” shrugged one of the other preachers, “now it’s three to two.  This was the attitude of the Pharisees.  In spite of the evidence that Jesus healed this blind man, the Pharisees refused to believe that they were wrong.

This wasn’t the first time that Jesus’ authority and identity was challenged and debated.  As a matter of fact His authority and identity is still being challenged.  This morning’s gospel lesson is just one of many examples.  Jesus seeing a man born blind had compassion on him, made a mud compress and applied it to his eyes and told him to, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.”  He did so and had his sight restored.  When he returned home he was greeted by his hometown with uncertainty.  Is he the blind beggar or someone who looks like him?   He was greeted by the Pharisees with skepticism.

Before we become too critical of the Pharisees let me remind you, as the author of the Bible Study we are using on Wednesday reminded me, you and I have stood in their shoes.  While channel surfing haven’t you ever come across a faith healer who boldly proclaimed, “In the name of Jesus you are healed.”  The faith healer then slapped the person on the fore head and he or she fell over backward. What was your response skepticism or praise to God for such a miracle?

Ok then, you can see where the Pharisees might have been coming from.

The Pharisees were blind to this new phenomena, as blind as we are to new math.  When you and I went to school one plus one equaled two. Now x plus y equals z.  The Pharisees were doing their own theological math problem.  It was a given that miracles come from God.  It was a given that God would not work a healing miracle through a sinner.  It was a given Jesus was a sinner because He broke the Sabbath law.  Conclusion, Jesus could not have miraculously healed this blind man.

The Pharisees were blinded to the truth because of their rigidness to the law.  It did not matter what the evidence was before them.

Are you and I really that much different than the Pharisees?  We would like to think that we are, but in truth do we not allow the circumstances of our lives to blind us.  When something negatively impacts your life do you see it as a problem or an opportunity for God to reveal Himself?  When you experience suffering, whether it be emotional, physical, financial, what is your first response, “Why, God?” Or do you consider it pure joy, for that is what James 1 verse 2-4 tells us to do,

“Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

When you look at Jesus do you see the eliminator of all your problems?  Or do you see The Light of the world that shines in the darkness of life, shining hope, shining strength, shining comfort, shining peace, shining the fullness of the glory of God?

When the wife of Stanley Harriman learned of his death in the fighting against the Taliban and Al Qaede fighters in Afghanistan she said, “Stan just reached home before the rest of us.  Heaven is our home, our goal.  Is this how you look at life?  Is the goal of your life here on earth, heaven?  Are the activities that you invest your time, energy, and finances indicative of that goal?

The Pharisees scrutinized the miracle of the blind man.  They looked at it through their own eyes instead of through the eyes of God.  They saw a Sabbath breaker healing a blind man and concluded impossible.  What they should have seen was God working a miracle through Jesus.

What it is that you and I should see when we look at our own life, our present situation through God’s eyes?

It has been a year now since I started wearing glasses to read with.  You may have noticed that I have left the altar area during the beginning of worship.  That is because I left to retrieve my glasses that I left on my desk.  While I struggle to remember my glasses I am grateful to have them. They make reading easier.  They make blurred words clear.  I have become dependent on them so I can read.

Like those glasses you and I need God.  We need to use His Word and His Holy Spirit as glasses to look at our life with.  Seeing as God sees should be our desire.   Instead we look at life through the eyes of the news reporters, through the opinions of our friends, through the eyes of our culture.  It is time we look at life through the eyes of God.  It is time we look at life through the eyes of God who said,

“I am the light of the world.”

I guarantee
you will see
a much better view.