9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed 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 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So 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 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” 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 how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to 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 said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. 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 And 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, “Why, this is an amazing 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 if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
John 9
Dear God, I was just listening to a podcast from the Holy Post. Skye Jethani was talking about the story from John 9 (and half of 10) about Jesus healing the blind man and the Pharisees refusing to allow themselves to believe Jesus was from you. Jesus was you. They just couldn’t believe it. It would deconstruct (It’s funny I used that word. I didn’t mean to, but that word and concept has become a battleground in the American Evangelical church) their world and faith to think that Jesus might not only be the Messiah, but also that if he was and he was violating their laws then everything the believed would have to be reconsidered.
Skye Jethani called this certainty. They couldn’t or wouldn’t allow themselves to get past their certainty. He used examples of Christians from the past who were certain that lightning was demons and the fact that churches–often the tallest structures in towns–were struck more often than other buildings was an attack by Satan. They rejected Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rod as an affront to their faith when he first invented it divided the church. Some installed them and the churches were safe. Some rejected the lightning rods and a portion of those churches continued to be struck. They were certain.
Skye’s real thesis was that the modern American Evangelical church has picked some things that it is certain about–politics, LGBTQ+, guns, COVID conspiracies, etc.–and is acting like the Pharisees when something challenged their assumptions. We aren’t willing to discuss and explore, perhaps even arriving back at the same conclusion we currently have. Instead we just say no to something that flies in the face of what we were taught to believe. The real danger is that, as our children grow and question, when they see us being unreasonable in our beliefs, we could lose an entire generation and they will just walk away from faith. I was talking with a friend at lunch this week about his concern about the LGBTQ+ agenda is going to be damaging to his kids. My encouragement to him was to figure out his persuasive arguments on the issues and be prepare to discuss them with his children beyond “it’s wrong,” because the world is very good right now with its persuasive argument in favor of it. He will have to make it a dialogue with his children, not a closed-minded mandate against.
Isn’t it funny that there really isn’t one person in the New Testament pre-resurrection who was right about Jesus and what his purpose on earth was. Not one. Mary and Joseph didn’t understand it. Elizabeth, Zechariah and their son John didn’t understand it. I’m not really sure when Jesus fully understood it. But after the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had to go hide because he knew the people were going to try to make him king. They were trying to make him king all of the way up to Passion week. He was the only one who comprehended what was going on. But everyone else was sure they were right about him, whether they were against him or for him. But every single one of them was wrong. And the commands of the Sermon on the Mount flew in the face of what everyone expected of him and what he would call them to do.
Father, I know I am blind. I know I have some preconceived theologies that are errant but are so baked into me that I cannot see them. I know I don’t know what you would have me do at any given moment. I guess the best thing I can say for myself is that I know that I don’t know. Please teach me, Holy Spirit. Please guide me. Help me to lead with humility. As I get ready to teach this Sunday school class this morning, make this a journey that we are all on together to simply hear from you. You are our God. We want you to teach us. Break us. Melt us. Mold Us. Fill us.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
Dear God, I wanted to see what the commentary I normally use (The Communicator’s Commentary) had to say about this passage. For Matthew, the author, Myron Augsburger, made this statement that I liked: “Conversion to Christ is a change of direction from our way to His way, but following conversion or change of direction we still need to decide at which level we will live our lives [emphasis mine]. We will live either at a level of magnanimity or at a level of mediocrity.”
How many of us settle for mediocrity? How often do I settle for mediocrity? Over the years, how many times have I settled? I suppose the good news is that, for some reason, I always get pulled back to the narrow path. Maybe it’s conscience. Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe it’s hunger for you. Even now, as I sit here at 4:21 in the afternoon writing this prayer to you, I have chosen a pretty mediocre path for the most of this day. I’m quarantining since my wife has COVID, caring for her and being available to her, but I haven’t taken any person time with you until now. Any dedicated contemplative time until now. I’ve watched some Olympics. I’ve read some in the book I’m reading. I took the dog for a long walk. But other than that I haven’t done much.
Not that every day has to be everything. And I suppose I cannot always be operating at 100% effectiveness. There is a call for Sabbath, after all. But I could have been here earlier with you today. I could have worshipped you more.
Father, maybe I’m sad about some situations in my life. I know of some people who are experiencing strife with others. That breaks my heart. Please let there be peace there and let the pain they are experiencing count. Whether it’s marriages, friendships, or family relationships, please bring peace and growth through the pain. For those who are sick, including my wife, please bring healing. I’m also thinking of a couple of friends who are experiencing illness. One who is at the end of his long life as well. Bring the healing you have for all of them. Oh, Lord, bring your healing in me as well. Heal my soul. Forgive me of my sin. Heal my heart and the scars that have formed. Comfort me. Guide me. And help me to stay on this narrow path.
I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Posted by John D. Willome on August 4, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount
Tags: Myron Augsburger, Sermon on the Mount, The Communicator's Commentary