Third sunday in lent
Sunday 27, February 2005
Isaiah 42:14-21
Darkness will be turned into light. Rough places made smooth. Idolaters put to shame. Who is blind but my servant (israel). Seen many things, paid no attention, open ear, hearing nothing.
Ephesians 5:8-14
Have nothing with deeds of darkness, expose them. Shameful to mention what disobedient do in secret.
Jn 9:13-17.34-39
"Does not keep the sabbath..." "How could a sinner do such miraculous signs?" "He is a prophet." the man replied. The blind will see, those who see will become blind.
Childrens sermon: Heidi Kohler
Lifesavers remind us that Jesus saves our life.
Sermon: Frank Eberhart
(Reads John 9:13-39) The bulletin cut out part of the reading to save space.
Turn on the light. Pastor says he is a strange person. He likes to walk around in dark buildings. He knows the places very well, so he thought he could do it. However, he has a black dog, and he tripped over it. His wife told him, "Turn on the light!" A lot of people walk in spiritual darkness and could be in the light, if they just turned it on. In the bible story of the blind man, people asked `who sinned?' about the blind man. People walking in the dark seek people to blame for everything. Some things we'll never figure out. They asked the wrong question. `Who sinned' when really they should have asked, `what shall we do with this blind man?' A man named Sullivan used to deliver coal. They'd take their truck and dump coal down a chute into people's basements. One day a skunk got in there. They decided to frighten the skunk out, but this was a bad idea. It sprayed them. The stink penetrated the basement. The owner wanted to sue someone. The delivery man was blamed. He blamed the company, the household and the mining company. You can't sue the skunk. Everyone was asking who to blame, and no one was asking the more important question, how to get rid of the smell. There are a lot of beautiful things in this world. But there are disasters, sins, and disease. We often ask why, why why instead of `what to do about it?' Is all suffering somehow connected to sin? God wasn't responsible for adam and eve. Real people made real choices in that situation. Sin permeated creation through them. (But even they cannot be blamed for every evil that happens on this earth. That denies personal responsibility). People keep asking, "Why did God let this happen?" instead of "Why did we?" Or "What to do about it?" Carelessness can cause problems. Not looking both ways before you cross the street. Bad decisions, or deliberately breaking God's law causes problems. Disciples kept asking why, instead of solving problems. If you're suffering and think your sin is at fault, confess. Ask God what he wants. There will always be someone who won't agree with you. Pharisees asked the parents, everyone, until they asked the man himself who healed him. They kicked the man out of the synogogue because Jesus healed him on the sabbath. That was the reward he got for his sight. Jesus healed on the sabbath because he believed in giving people healing and love when they needed it.
Some time back, in a small midwestern town, someone made an `attention home.' To give attention to troubled teens before they got in trouble with the law. They needed a location, however. One man liked the idea, but didn't want it on his turf, not near his property.
The church is a place of healing, with the clay and spit of love. In the story of the Samaritan woman, the woman, for the first time, was looked at, not as an object, but as an object of love. Jesus can handle everything. Jesus gives us courage. The blind man was kicked out of the temple. He probably scratched his head wondering about it. The people weren't thrilled, though he thought they should be. The biggest day of his life and he was scorned.
We are blind until Christ shows us the light. Sometimes we bring our baggage to church, saying `I dare you to do something about it.' And Jesus says, `do you believe?' `Who is he, so I may believe?' `I am he,' Jesus replied.