Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Let us gather as community at this time, not in person, but in spirit, hope, faith, love and prayer.
The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Prayer: Bend your ear to our prayers, Lord Christ, and come among us. By your gracious life and death for us, bring light into the darkness of our hearts and minds, calming our fears amid uncertainties. Anoint us with your Spirit, for you live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.
Gospel Reading: John 9:1-41
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[a] must work the works of him who sent me[b] 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 the man.” 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.” But 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[c] to be the Messiah[d] 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, and 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?”[e] 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir?[f] 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,[g] 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 near 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.
Reflection:
Grace peace and mercy from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As I look at this passage, I see it through different eyes than I have in the past. Today I am looking at it through eyes that see from the current pandemic that is facing humans in every country around the world. I am hearing Jesus’s message through new ears. I hear the question who sinned…whose fault is it that the world is in this condition. The reality is that no one did this on purpose. The first person who became ill with the virus had no way of knowing that they were the starting point for the epidemic. And so Jesus’ answer no one sinned, needs to alert us that we are not to look for someone to blame, we are not to place blame. Instead let us look as Jesus advises us, this happened so that God’s works might be revealed. I take comfort in this, as I am reminded that the God of creation, the Lord who calmed the storm and healed the blind and made the lame to walk is still with us and able to preserve us through this time. God who saved Noah and his family from the flood, God who led the Israelites out of slavery and guided them through the wilderness, God who kept a remnant from the root of Jesse, and God who loves us so much sent Jesus to be with us and redeem us. There is no doubt that we will continue when the virus has run its course and subsided and healing will be brought to our world. Why am I so sure of this? Because Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” We can trust Jesus, who is the light of the world…who opened our eyes to see that God is with us, especially when we are in dark times. Jesus will light the way for us, guiding us out of any darkness, doubt or fear that we may have as we learn to navigate this uncharted territory. I am reminded of a time when on vacation, I didn’t bother to turn on a light in the unfamiliar room, and attempting to walk in the dark promptly smashed my toe into a piece of furniture. I could not see in the darkness. Hmmmm….people this seems like now. We can’t see in the darkness. Let us not turn away from the light of Christ at this time. Let us turn to our Lord, trust in our Lord and know that we are safe and secure in the loving embrace of our Lord. So while we sequester in place and follow all the safety protocols, let us also proclaim the goodness and mercy of God, recognize that God is present, give thanks that our Lord has offered us salvation and that the Holy Spirit is in us. At this time when so many people are afraid and uncertain and don’t know who Jesus is, May we have courage like the blind man to proclaim that Jesus is from God. And may we all be blessed to hear Jesus announcing to us that the Son of man is standing before us and speaking to us. May our faith deepen as we announce to those who desperately want to meet the Lord and worship him. Walk in the faith and trust of our Lord Jesus, and see clearly in light, the love of God with us now and always.
Thanks be to God.
Please pray the Lord’s prayer.
May God who created us, Jesus who redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit who sanctified us, protect you, lift you up, encourage you, and be with you always.
Reside in God’s peace, serve the Lord.
In Christian love,
Pastor Wende
