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As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind. He had been blind since he was born. Jesus\u2019 disciples asked him, \u201cRabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?\u201d \u201cIt isn\u2019t because this man sinned,\u201d said Jesus. \u201cIt isn\u2019t because his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God\u2019s power could be shown by what\u2019s going to happen (John 9:1-3).

We are exploring together what it means that Jesus is Immanuel, \u201cGod with us.\u201d Already in the Old Testament, light is an image attached to Immanuel. John picks up this picture in his gospel and its meanings sort of explodes on the page like a light bulb given power in a dark room. Our text is one of those detonations. The disciple\u2019s understanding of the world is turned on its head.

In this story the disciples are asking the questions. \u201cWhy is this man blind? Why is he this way? Did his parents sin? Or was it he, himself?\u201d The disciples are trying to understand the condition, meaning, and purpose of this man\u2019s life. If he is blind, if he is disabled, isn\u2019t it because he or someone has sinned? Why would he be this way if no one had sinned? Whose sin caused this man to be born blind?

In their way of looking at the world, a problem like blindness was always the direct effect of someone\u2019s sin. Today, we think such ideas are old fashioned. We are too educated for such simplicity. But just hold on. What is our gut reaction when someone is homeless or a refugee? For many of us, our first response is to ask why. To stand back and analyze the situation. And isn\u2019t that exactly what the disciples were doing? Analyzing the situation, making it fit into their worldview.

They don\u2019t see a man in need of healing, do they? They\u2019re blind to his pain. They see an example from the Theologians Case Book! This promises to be an interesting discussion.

Likewise, we try to explain what we see as unfortunate, lamentable, disadvantageous, regrettable. But in doing this we place ourselves at the centre of our questions. In such thinking, God is put in the sidelines.

In our text, Jesus flips the disciples\u2019 thinking on its head, as he so often does. How does he respond to their questions, \u201cwho sinned?\u201d Jesus responds by shifting their focus from the blind man to God and to Himself as the Light of the World. He says to them, \u201cNeither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God\u2019s works might be revealed in him.\u201d This is not just about the blind man; this is about God\u2019s work and God\u2019s plan.

Jesus intends to point us beyond the problem to the possibilities it presents. When we see an afflicted individual, we should not start with blame, but rather how can peace, comfort, and healing for this person show the glory of the God. We should be about the business of trying to bring such wholeness to him and others.

Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples when he later says, " While it is still day, we must do the works of the one who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t let your opinions deflect you from the task that God has put you here to do. How often do we analyse and dissect rather than act to bring God\u2019s light into the world? How often do we apply our theological minds to working out why something is the way it is, rather than doing what we can to right the wrongs we see?

To paraphrase Jesus, \u201cWhoever has eyes to see, let them see!\u201d

On your ornament, you can draw one of two things: an eye, suggesting that we need to see the world in a new light, or a light, indicating that Jesus is the light of the world, who will show us a new way to look at the world.

As for something to do: as you go about your day, ask Jesus to show you how your opinions are keeping you from bringing God\u2019s glory into other people\u2019s lives.