Surely, We Are Not Blind, Are We?

Scripture Lessons: Psalm 23 and John 9: 1-41 Sermon Title: Surely, we are not blind, are we? Preached on 3/22/20 Do you remember when we used to go out to dinner? I do, and I’m trying to remember the bad things about going out to dinner so I don’t miss it so much. Have you ever been out to dinner with another couple and she won’t let him or her won’t let her finish telling a story for correcting some insignificant detail? Do you know what I’m talking about? It annoys me, because it seems petty, and it always really bothers me when the details prevent the telling of a good story. For example, maybe she was trying to tell you how she was walking the dog across the street and Fido was out in front and in the middle of the crosswalk when a blue Ford Mustang turned the corner too quickly and… “No, it was a red Dodge Charger,” he interrupts her to say. In this instance, the thing that drives me crazy is I don’t care what color the car was. I care whether or not the dog got run over. Do you know what I mean? It’s not uncommon for people to get caught up in details. Details are important. Many good story tellers say, “I never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” That might be too extreme. Really, what I want to point out is that details are important. We can’t ignore them. However, sometimes we allow little details to distract us from big truths. Our Second Scripture Lesson began: “As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus answers, “Who cares?” That’s not exactly what he said, but it’s close enough. What I believe he was trying to say is, “Don’t be distracted by the details. Watch what I’m about to do.” Then Jesus “spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”. Then he went and washed and came back able to see.” That’s what’s pictured on the cover of your bulletin. Again, a member of our own community, Bill Needs, took the time to contribute his gifts that we might stand back in awe and wonder at Jesus, beholding this great miracle. He titled his work, “One thing I do know, I was blind and now I see.” That’s the main thing. He got it. What about everyone else? After the man went and washed and came back able to see, “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?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him.” Why were they asking, and why weren’t they rejoicing? Well, they were caught up in the details, unable to see the miracle that had just taken place. That’s sad, but it happened. Before that the disciples, so focused on the problem, so practicing in assigning blame and debating “who sinned” to cause the man’s blindness were about to gloss right over the miracle. Then the Pharisees get involved, and when Pharisees get involved there’s always trouble. They got stuck on the fact that “it was a Sabbath day” when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes and so they boldly proclaim: “This [Jesus] is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Now why did that matter? Why an interrogation and not a party? Couldn’t they just be happy for this man? Where was the cake and the parade celebrating the day when the man born blind regained his sight? Instead, the investigation continues. Why? Because a culture trained to look for sin can be blind to miracles. A culture focused on details can ignore the bigger picture. A culture concerned with who did it or who is trying to do it can become distracted from what happened or what needs to happen. That’s how it happened then, and that’s how it is now. Have you been listening to all the criticism? Have you heard what should have happened and who should have done what and when? Have you heard that this whole Corona thing is just the Democrat’s attempt to get President Trump out of office? Have you heard that sales of Corona Beer have slumped? Rather than just listen to the CDC or the Governor we get caught up in debates. We trip over details. We wonder, “Is this really any worse than the flu?” Then we get into the blame part: “Why do all these things start in China?” “Shouldn’t the President have done something before now?” “Why are people still going to the beach?” It’s because they drank water out of the hose as a kid and heard that makes you immune to it. You know, the priority here should be caring for people rather than assigning blame. The goal should be eliminating disease rather than talking about what our leaders could have done better. And maybe that’s where we’ll get eventually, but to get there we have to stop acting like unpleasant dinner guests, or worse, Pharisees. I hate Pharisees. Don’t you? Unfortunately, I am one. Like them, I get more interested in whose fault it was. I wander down these rabbit trails that distract me from the real issue. I become problem focused rather than solution focused, sin focused rather than miracle focused, detail focused rather than big picture focus, and when that happens I can’t be surprised if nothing ever gets done and if life feels more like a deposition rather than the celebration God created it to be. Look again at our Second Scripture Lesson. First the Disciples want to know who sinned. Then the Pharisees want to know when he healed the man. The parents just don’t want to offend anybody. And meanwhile, Jesus gave this man sight. The Pharisees asked: “We are not blind, are we?” You better believe we are. But not all of us. This Corona Virus is a source of stress and conflict. Husbands and wives are arguing. Siblings are fighting. Stocks are declining. Employers are having to lay off staff. Last week my neighbor told me about her friend’s aunt who had to ask her maid not to come back, and because Aunt Sally doesn’t drive, she also counted on this maid to deliver her vodka, so remember Aunt Sally in your prayers this week. She’s having a really hard time. The truth is that we all have it hard right now, though some of us have it harder than others. The most challenging phone call I’ve had to make since this thing started was to Andrew MacIntosh who’s wedding was supposed to be in our Sanctuary yesterday. Friday before last I called him. “Andrew,” I said, “We have a problem.” Well, it turned out his caterers were backing out anyway and his guests were already nervous, but if a tear was shed or a harsh word was spoken, I don’t know about it. All I know is that Anna, Andrew’s bride, asked me if I could still officiate a private service, saying, “We’re just excited to be married. The particulars are whatever they need to be.” This has been a hard season for so many reasons. Some of you have had to lay off employees. Others have feared for the future as the stock market dropped. We all have had to change our daily routines. Parents have become teachers, siblings have become playmates because there’s no one else to play with, doctors and nurses are working overtime, and we all have felt the lingering anxiety of not knowing. Every day I’ve woken up to a tightness in my chest. Have you? But let me tell you what I’m forcing myself to see: that if our kids are healthy, it’s a miracle. If we have a home to be confined in, we need to give thanks to God. This service is coming to you in your home because we can’t be together, but because of the providence of God working through a team of volunteers, this service is streaming to you. We can’t be blind to what’s good, no matter how frustrating the distractions and the changes. And what are those distractions and changes really? Most of them are just details, and we can’t allow the details to distract us from the miracle for if Anna and Andrew can see it as their wedding plans collapse what’s our excuse? “Surely, we are not blind, are we?” That’s what the Pharisees asked, and they were blind. But we don’t have to be. Open your eyes to miracles. Open your eyes to God at work among us now. Amen.