Southwest Community Church
February 15
  • Holy Is The Lord
  • Hosanna

  • Encountering Jesus like a man born blind

    We have been making our way through the gospel of John … and we keep reminding ourselves that we are reading this ancient book now, but that the
    (h/t Judy Fentress-Williams)
    The Gospel of John [was originally] directed to a faith community struggling with their identity and feeling external and internal pressures.
    This always feels very relatable - since the church in 2026 is also struggling with our identity - how do we live out the good news of Jesus in community in 2026? And we, too, feel pressures both internal and external. The details may be different, but the struggle is real.
    We also remember that John’s Gospel was crafted to introduce its readers to the Jesus they all thought they already knew.
    This means, that whether we are new to faith, or have been following Jesus for a long time, we are invited to encounter Jesus again. Anew. And possibly in ways we have not encountered Him until now.
    Themes [SKIP?]
    Scholar Karoline Lewis gives us a hint at the themes that we found in the Prologue during Advent, but also that are woven through the whole gospel. She articulates the themes this way:
    8 themes of the gospel of John:
    Jesus and Creation
    origin & identity of Jesus
    the Word made flesh reveals God
    human & divine held together in the Incarnation, in the God revealed in Jesus “God has fully committed God’s self to everything that it means to be human, and the human Jesus reveals the full divinity of God.” Karoline Lewis
    contrast between light and darkness
    witness as the primary category of discipleship - You want to follow Jesus? Pay attention to him - to who He is, what He does, what He says…
    children of God
    abundance
    Sign-Dialogue-Discourse
    And we have been tracing the way John shares miraculous events in Jesus’ ministry - with the pattern of sign dialogue and discourse.
    If you’ve been tracking, or if you’re just joining us now, there are seven signs in John’s gospel and so over the last weeks, we’ve looked at five of them so far…
    Water to Wine
    The healing of the official’s son
    The healing of the man ill for 38 years
    The feeding of the 5000
    The walking on water
    The healing of the man born blind (today)
    The raising of Lazarus (next week)
    This sixth sign is all wrapped up in the first 7 verses of chapter 9. Jesus and his disciples see a man who was born blind - and seven verses later, he can see.
    The dialogue is quite long and has several “sections” - vs 8-40
    Various people will take part in the discussion as people try to sort out what happened and what it might mean.
    The Discourse then begins in 9:41 and stretches all the way to 10:18. (Our reading won’t go quite that far, but we’ll dip into chapter 10 to help us remember that the discourse doesn’t stop at the chapter division)
    And the whole things wraps up in 10:19-21 with a bit of a poll: The Pharisees are divided… they’re not sure what to make of Jesus. And I think the gospel writer is suggesting that his readers also may be wrestling with who Jesus is and how they feel about him.
    John 10:19–21 NRSVue
    19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
    As Brian (& Kathleen?) comes to read, would you prepare your hearts and minds to listen to God’s word? (It’s a long passage, so I think today we will remain seated… but I invite you to still ready your body. Maybe change your posture. Feet on the floor. SIt up nice and tall. Take a deep breath…
    John 9:1–10:6 NRSVue
    1 As he walked 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 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am he.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. 1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
    This is the Word of the Lord.
    THANKS BE TO GOD.
    There is SO much in here. We could probably unpack this sign, this dialogue and this discourse over a series of weeks. But, since we only have today with it, let’s just pick out a few things to highlight:
    Notice the questions
    9:1 - the disciples “state the obvious” … “Who sinned?”
    Everyone knows that someone has to be at fault here. Either the man did something to deserve his lifelong disability OR his parents did something and this man is living with the consequences of their choices and actions.
    Jesus destabilizes their assumption. The man is a occasion for glory. The man born blind displays the glory of God. The man will also display the glory of God when he is healed. But his healing is not the primary means of displaying God’s glory. He bears the image of his Creator even while he lives life on the margins of society - not because he deserves to be marginalized, but because that is how that society was organized.
    Notice how the man is a model for the life of faith
    Karoline Lewis: “One of the compelling features…is the way the man models our own need to sort out and sort through who we think Jesus is. Recognition is…a gradual process that happens in dialogue and even confrontation.”
    The response of the blind man embodies what discipleship is.
    he hears Jesus’ voice and obeys
    he is honest about what he thinks (and “believes”) and it changes over time and as things are revealed to him
    his identity shifts from “man born blind” to “witness of Jesus the Christ” even BEFORE his sight is given adn even before he fully understands or knows who Jesus is
    (He doesn’t SEE Jesus until Jesus comes to find him!)
    “the man called Jesus” (9:11)
    “he is a prophet” (9:17)
    “One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (9:25)
    “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes…If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (9:30,33)
    [Do you believe in the Son of Man?] “Lord, I believe.”
    Notice what Jesus does and says.
    Jesus is attentive to the man.
    After the religious leaders kick him out - remember, he only JUST gained access to be able to have full access to the community and now, they’re angry at him - for getting healed. For having the audacity to get healed on the wrong day of the week. And then having the audacity to believe that the One who healed him might just be from God. His faith infuriates them.
    Jesus response to him getting kicked out is to go and find him.
    Jesus knows, hears, listens. (The man knows, hears, listens to Jesus. There is mutuality between the Sheep and the Shepherd.)
    John 10:14–15 NRSVue
    14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father.
    Jesus finds
    After the religious leaders kick him out - remember, he only JUST gained access to be able to have full access to the community and now, they’re angry at him - for getting healed. For having the audacity to get healed on the wrong day of the week. And then having the audacity to believe that the One who healed him might just be from God. His faith infuriates them.
    Jesus response to him getting kicked out is to go and find him.
    The word here for “find” is the same word from John 1 when Jesus calls the first disciples… so imagine those disciples who were FOUND and called to follow now watching Jesus FIND and call this man too.
    So, I have a few questions…
    If we get to choose whether to encounter Jesus as a religious leader or as a man born blind, which is preferable?
    If we place ourselves in the shoes of the religious leaders… where would we fall in the division that is described? Is this God? Is this a dangerous thing that must be stamped out? Are we blind? (Quite possibly!)
    If we place ourselves in the shoes of the man born blind… would we listen? Would we continue on our path towards Jesus? What would it be like to have our sight given, but then to be “reviled” by the religious leaders and not supported by our parents and then kicked out of the community altogether? What would it feel like to have Jesus come and find us? Invite us to take a next step towards him? And what would it be like to see someone and not necessarily know who he was… until he speaks… and then we’d remember his voice.
    (Hint: Mary told the servants Do whatever he tells you. And this man has done that)
    At the end of the gospel, another disciple will leave the tomb, distraught and cast down… only to hear the voice of her Good Shepherd calling her name.)
    Finally… in what ways is Jesus attending to you this morning? Seeing you. Hearing you. Protecting you. Healing you. And coming to find you?
    How will you respond to your good shepherd? I close with the text that will be the first reading at our Open Sanctuary on Wednesday…
    John 10 NRSVue
    10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
    John 10 NRSVue
    11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
    John 10 NRSVue
    14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
    Pray with me…
    Jesus knows, hears, listens. (The man knows, hears, listens to Jesus. There is mutuality between the Sheep and the Shepherd.)
    Jesus finds.
    Know us, hear us, listen to us, and help us to listen to you.
    And Jesus, find us.

      • John 9:1–10:6NRSVUE

      • John 9:1–10:6NRSVUE

      • John 10:14–15NRSVUE

  • Open The Eyes Of My Heart
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