Blindness to Sight

Pastor Steve Stolarczyk

LSB Lectionary, Series A • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Text: “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.’” ().

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.”

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

I keep coming back to the words of Luther:

The pharisees presumed to know what God would and would not do. They remained blind to the works of God. (cf. , in which the people had God, Himself, but turn to carved idols.)

“First, we can be sure that God’s punishment has come upon us, not only to chastise us for our sins but also to test our faith and love — our faith in that we may see and experience how we should act toward God; our love in that we may recognize how we should act toward our neighbor.”

This has come upon us to test our faith— that we may see and experience how we should act toward God— and our love— that we may recognize how we should act toward our neighbor. (Luther’s Letter to Rev. Hess on “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague”) One of the questions that a test of our faith might raise is the question: What do we look for from God?

What were they looking for from God?

In Isaiah’s day, they could not resist turning to deals with foreign powers to try to save themselves; to try to hold on to the position and influence that they had been given, that they had risen to under King David and King Solomon.

In Jesus’ day, they didn’t have anything close to that power. What they were looking for from God was to be free from the rule of the Roman empire. The pharisees presumed to know what God would and would not do. In the process, they remained blind to the works of God.

The pharisees presumed to know what God would and would not do. They remained blind to the works of God. (cf. , in which the people had God, Himself, but turn to carved idols.)

What were they looking for? Political success. Ironically, that was true in Isaiah’s time— that’s what he was prophesying against in our Old Testament reading— and it’s still true in Jesus’ day. In Isaiah’s day, they could not resist turning to deals with foreign powers to try to save themselves.

What are you and I looking for from God?

The world around us tells us quite confidently what Jesus would or would not do, what He would or would not support, etc. Yet they remain blind to the works of God.

How often, in the past 30 years, has political success been our concern, too? Or the church’s waning influence in the culture? The size of our organization? When we talk about the “good old days” what was it that made them the “good old days”? What is it that we still talk about? Was it the number of people, the number of different groups? Was it supporting a school all by ourselves? What do we still remember from back then— that we’re looking for now?

What are we looking for from God? How often, in the past 30 years, has political success been our concern? Or the church’s waning influence in the culture?

N.B. common refrain: “It will be better on judgment day for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you because you have rejected Jesus, Himself.” (See also “Nineveh....”)

The world around us tells us quite confidently what Jesus would or would not do, what He would or would not support, etc. Yet they remain blind to the works of God.

Just like God’s people of the Old Testament, just like God’s people of the Gospels, you and I look for political success, we look for God to make our lives as good and as comfortable as possible, and it’s nice to have Him to fall back on when there is trouble or when times are hard. And, in the process, you remain blind to the works of God. The words of Christ are still true: “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” ().

“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

This test of faith— this lesson in how we should act toward God— it forces you and me to ask, among other things, what you are looking for from God.

And, in the process, you remain blind to the works of God. God only works one way: making the blind see, the deaf hear, the dead alive...

You are children of light. And yet you not only take part in the unfruitful works of darkness, you make a place in your life for the shameful things that can be done only in secret. Instead of examining yourself seriously and confessing them, instead of exposing the works of darkness, you excuse them.

Instead of exposing them you excuse them.

You excuse them. Or you try to cover them. Conservative politics do not hide your works of darkness— not from God. Your defense of natural marriage does not make up for hidden sins like neglecting or even abusing your own spouse. Your opposition to abortion does not justify the care you’ve failed to show to your own children.

Your passion for bringing more people into the church does not justify your works of darkness. You can’t cover for your sins by pressing others to clean up their own. God did not establish His church as an outlet for you to make yourself look better.

God only works one way: making the blind see, the deaf hear, bringing the dead to life— in short, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into this world.

What are you looking for from God? Are you blind to what He’s actually doing right in front of you here? Because God only works one way: making the blind see, making the deaf hear, bringing the dead to life— in short, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into this world.

“I am the light of the world,” your King says. And yes, that light exposes all of the works of darkness. Nothing is hidden from His sight. All is revealed to Him, including the hidden motives of your heart.

Christ is the Light of the World.

And, thankfully, He chooses to shine in this world and expose every one of the works of darkness so that none would be missed when He went to the cross to pay for them. The work of God is put on display, it is lifted high on the cross for all to see: the Son of God enduring the Father’s wrath over all the works of darkness. He never shines brighter than when He’s hanging on the cross. “The true light, which gives light to everyone, [has come] into the world” (). It shines from the cross to all the world and not even the darkness of the tomb was able to overcome it ().

That is the work of God: death to life; darkness to light; blindness to sight. And that is still the work of God everyday within His Church.

N.B. common refrain: “It will be better on judgment day for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you because you have rejected Jesus, Himself.” (See also “Nineveh....”)

And that is still the work of God everyday within His Church.

He never shines brighter than when He’s hanging on the cross.

Let me ask the question again: What do we look for from God?

Consider it in this way, specifically: can you get everything you always get at church on a Sunday morning from a video stream like this and a TV or computer screen? On the one hand, the answer is: “Absolutely.” Most certainly the Word heard on streaming video, read in emails, or simply read directly from the Bible at home is efficacious! And yet, at the same time, you can’t get everything you get on a normal Sunday morning.

Let’s take a parallel situation. There are a lot of families right now who are separated. They can’t be together like they are used to. Are those family members able to stay connected by talking on the phone or even with video chat? Absolutely. And yet it’s not the same as being together, is it?

And yet, at the same time, you can’t get everything you get on a normal Sunday morning. It’s similar to family members being separated for a time. Are they able to stay connected by talking on the phone— in fact, in our day, with video chat? Absolutely. And yet it’s not the same.

Most certainly the Word heard on streaming video, read in emails, or simply read directly from the Bible at home is efficacious!

You’re probably feeling something similar about worshipping this way. It is necessary right now, without a doubt. And it keeps you connected to God and His Word. And yet it’s not the same.

Have you been able to put your finger on what’s missing? Pastor Tino, the now-retired pastor who had served Peace, Sandusky, put it beautifully:

This has to do with personal interaction with Jesus face to face, literally touching Him. [As often as we gather for corporate worship you get to] see Jesus stand among [you] and face God's Throne to confess [your] sin with [you], sing praise to His Father with [you], and pray with [you]. [Through the called minister, you hear Christ’s own voice declaring you forgiven. You] get to hear Jesus Himself READ HIS WORD to [you]! And then[, as often as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, you] get to literally walk through the Gate of Heaven up to God's actual Throne, Michael and Gabriel standing on either side of the altar, Majestic Seraphim flying over [your] head singing the Sanctus— “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory”— Royal Cherubim guarding God's presence, [and with your loved ones] in Heaven standing shoulder to shoulder with [you].

Some of you may have wondered why, as we’ve wrestled with the hard decisions about how to handle the Governor’s recommendations, I’ve continued to offer Holy Communion to anyone who desires it. “Can’t we do without it for a few weeks?” you might be asking. Yes, we can. There is no law that says you must do it this many times or this often. The point is that you and I need what it offers. In fact, we need it more now, not less. In the Sacrament of the Altar,

I get to touch the real Presence of God, the Presence that Moses could not approach, that killed Uzzah, that killed 70 men in Beth-shemesh just for looking at Him; but the Presence that felt power leave His body to heal the woman with a flow of blood for 12 years, and the Presence that raised the widow's dead son, that raised Lazarus, that cleansed lepers. As I eat His Body and drink His Blood HE FEELS POWER LEAVE HIS BODY and I walk away from His Throne cleansed as pure as Naaman, as immortal as Simeon, as flabbergasted as Thomas. I can't get that from a video!

[You] get to touch the real Presence of God— the Presence that Moses could not approach, [the Presence] that killed Uzzah [when he touched the Ark of the Covenant], [the Presence] that killed 70 men in Beth-shemesh just for looking at Him— but [also] the Presence that felt power leave His body to heal the woman with a flow of blood..., the Presence that raised the widow's dead son, that raised Lazarus, [the Presence] that cleansed lepers, and gave the blind their sight. As [you] eat His Body and drink His Blood HE FEELS POWER LEAVE HIS BODY and [you] walk away from His Throne cleansed as pure as Naaman, [you walk away] as immortal as Simeon [ready to depart in peace]; [you walk away] as flabbergasted as Thomas[, crying out in joy, “My Lord and my God;” you walk away with your eyes opened, just like the blind man, to see Christ and, in HIm, to see the works of God all around you]. [That is something that you] can't get... from a video! (Rich Tino, Email to Pastors of Thumb East & West Circuits, 3/21/20.)

“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.’”

This is, without question, a test of our faith. Experiencing what it’s like to not be able to gather for worship, we see more clearly what corporate worship is all about. It’s value. What can and what cannot be replaced through a video camera. And what we should be looking for from God when we come together as the Kingdom of Heaven in this pace at this time.

God is still at work within HIs church. He hasn’t brought you here so you can excuse or cover or justify your works of darkness. He brought you here to make you children of light.

I pray that what you’re seeing and experiencing is that God is still at work within HIs church in a very unique way. He hasn’t brought you here so you can excuse or cover or justify your works of darkness. He brought you here to make you children of light. He is still at work in His church making the blind see, making the deaf hear, bringing the dead to life— in short, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into this world. It’s a reminder that God has spoken to you, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead— Christ has shone on you and you are now a child of the light!” You were born spiritually blind and dead, but He has instructed you to wash yourself in the waters of baptism and, in the process, “4 God, being rich in mercy… 5 made [you] alive together with Christ...” (, ). “16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (), “18 as [you] look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” ()—the works of God hidden behind mud, behind water, behind bread and wine.

God has spoken to you, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead— Christ has shone on you and you are now a child of the light!” He has instructed you to wash yourself in the waters of baptism and, in the process, brought you from death to life. “1 You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.... 4 But God, being rich in mercy… 5 made [you] alive together with Christ...” (, , ).

He is still at work in His church making the blind see, making the deaf hear, bringing the dead to life— in short, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into this world. God has spoken to you, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead— Christ has shone on you and you are now a child of the light!” He has instructed you to wash yourself in the waters of baptism and, in the process, brought you from death to life. “1 You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.... 4 But God, being rich in mercy… 5 made [you] alive together with Christ...” (, , ).

“Good old days” aside, the greatest time in the life of the Church is any moment when, regardless of whether or not we have any influence in the culture around us, that God’s Word is taught in its truth and purity and you and I live holy lives according to it— when your Heavenly Father gives you His Holy Spirit so that, by His grace, you believe His holy word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” That is what makes life in the Church good and right and true.

“Good old days” aside, the greatest time in the life of the Church is any moment when, regardless of whether or not we have any influence in the culture around us, God’s Word is taught in its truth and purity and you and I live holy lives according to it— when your Heavenly Father gives you His Holy Spirit so that, by His grace, you believe His holy word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”