Sermon for Christ Church,
April 3, 2011
John 9:1-41; So that God’s works might be revealed;
by Rev. John Perry
Jesus said, “He was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
I have a story for you. There once was a young man, in his early twenties. He was off on his own, beginning to make his way in the world. He struggled, with many of the usual things. With a career – he had been trained for one thing, but had aspirations for another. Which was a source of sadness and frustration for him. And, he struggled with a relationship. He met a young woman, got involved with her. He enjoyed her company, they had some fun times, shared some intimacy. But there was sadness and frustration for him here, also. Because all was not well with this young woman. She was troubled; within her, there was some anger, some bitterness, unhappiness with the world, a certain darkness. Much as he wanted to, he could not always make her happy, and he did not know what to do. Making another person happy, is a thing that we want to do, and try to do; but ultimately, is not ours to accomplish. But he struggled with this. And within the struggle, her darkness threatened to envelop him, also, at times.
He sought advice, from others close to him. From such a perspective, from the outside, it was easy to see, primarily, the brokenness within the woman. And from such a perspective, one wanted mostly to protect him, keep him from being hurt. Especially, when what you heard mostly, was his sadness and frustration over the dark parts of her.
In our Gospel story today, Jesus’ disciples ask him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” They’re saying, ‘Where’s the sin? We see what is obviously an unhappy outcome, so there’s gotta be sin around somewhere.’
We could ask the same thing about this relationship, between the struggling young man and this woman with her darkness: Where’s the sin? We see what is obviously an unhappy outcome, so there must be sin – something very broken – around somewhere.
This is what happens, when we interpret the world, primarily in terms of sin, primarily in terms of things that are broken. Instead of, interpreting it in terms of occasions for divine glory. Listen to what Jesus says: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” Pay attention to this, because here Jesus is challenging our understandings: of sin, and of how God’s will for us gets worked out in the world. Jesus here interprets the world, not in terms of sin; not in terms of brokenness; not in terms of assigning blame for things that have gone wrong. We love to assign blame, don’t we? And Jesus interprets the world, not in terms of what appear to be unhappy outcomes. And at times we love to rack those up, also. But rather, Jesus interprets the world in terms of occasions for divine glory: “so that God’s works might be revealed.” Jesus interprets the world, as a place where God’s purposes will get furthered. And very shortly in the Gospel, we find out just what God’s purposes are: healing, and sight. Healing and sight, for this blind man. And, for us.
Back to our struggling young man. What if, we interpret his situation, not in terms of unhappy outcomes, not in terms of brokenness, assigning blame, or seeking protection when things go wrong. What if we do not ask, where the sin is. But what if, we interpret this in terms of an occasion for divine glory. In terms of God’s works being revealed, in him, and in her. In terms of God’s purposes, somehow being furthered for them both.
Because somehow, that’s what happened. The young man, against the advice of those who sought only to protect him. Against the viewpoint of those who only interpreted the situation, in terms of brokenness. Against these, the young man stayed with this relationship. As did the young woman. They continued to express caring, for each other. That became more important, than the things that were broken. It became a way of reaching across, the things that were broken. I would suggest that he stayed with it, as did she, as a way of expressing God’s caring; leaving room for the healing God wanted; waiting and watching, for how God’s works, might yet be revealed. Waiting and watching for how God’s purposes for them both, might yet get worked out. Choosing to interpret the world, in terms of occasions for divine glory, that might yet appear.
God’s purposes did indeed turn out to be healing, and sight. Through their relationship. Healing, for her darkness; and for parts of him, too. Sight, to see the gifts, each would bring to the other. God’s purposes for them both, turned out, to be joy.
Jesus challenges our assumptions. About what appears to be brokenness – it may just be a way-station, on the way toward something else, having more to do with God’s purposes, God’s glory. That’s what Jesus showed us, with the man born blind.
And Jesus challenges our assumptions about sin – it may not be only where we think it is. Sin might also have to do with our short-sightedness. Like when we fail to imagine what God’s purposes might be. The Book of Common Prayer defines sin as “distorting our relationship with God” (see p.848). There are many ways to do that. It may be that we distort this relationship, when we fail to recognize what God can yet accomplish. When we choose to see, only what appear to be unhappy outcomes. And when we rush to assign blame. Just like the disciples, when they ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” After all, there’s nothing God could ever make of this. I rather think we do this, all the time.
Maybe that way of thinking, in itself, is the sin. Instead of believing, that God’s works might yet be revealed. Instead of believing, that God’s purposes, are healing, and sight. And, maybe, even joy.
The Book of Common Prayer actually talks about joy, quite a lot. It’s one of the things we pray for, for the newly baptized: “the gift of joy and wonder.” In Morning Prayer, we say, “Let your people sing with joy.” The Bible talks about joy. Even St. Paul talks about it; in his letter to the Romans, he says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.”
What if God’s purposes for us, include joy? It may seem odd, to speak of joy, in Lent. But Lent is a time to speak of sin. Our Prayerbook defines sin, as not seeking the will of God. From what we see in the Prayerbook and the Bible, joy is a part of God’s will for us.
For that young couple, joy came to them in the form of their romantic relationship. But joy can come in many, different, forms of relationship. I see many such relationships, among you. With others, and with things that you do. Relationships, bring contentedness, satisfaction, meaning, fulfillment, healing. What are these things, if not joy?
Jesus challenges our assumptions. It may well be, that we sin, if we were to live in such a manner that forecloses the possibility of healing; forecloses the possibility of joy. It may well be, that we distort our relationship with God. Fall short of seeking the whole will of God. If ever we give up, on what God might yet accomplish. Give up on healing; give up on joy.
“Rabbi, who sinned?” The disciples are seeing the world as a place where things go wrong, and then you look around, to see where you can assign blame. It’s what we are so tempted to do. Instead of doing something very different, and holy. Instead of looking for God; instead of seeing the world, as a place where God, brings healing, and sight. And, even joy.
So that God’s works might be revealed, in us. Amen
