Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Gospel of John XVII: Sin & Suffering*

*John 9:1-41*

*/October 26, 2008/*

 

 

*Prep: *

·         Halloween sermon, Phil III

·         Pg. 1 leftovers

·         John 5:1-15, 9:1ff, skim Job

·         Newbigin

 

 

*Opening*

 

*Halloween* is Friday and I could do a whole sermon on how we as Christians should respond to it.

In fact I did.

·         Short version: Use it as an *opportunity* to *engage* your culture – get to know your neighbors and *discuss* the *supernatural*.

The transcript is available online: tgcconline.com.

*prayer*

 

 

*The Blind Shall See*

 

In John 9, one of my *favorite* *miracles* of Jesus: I love this guy, especially when *contrasted* with the guy in *John 5* who Jesus healed and they ratted on Jesus.

What is more, this story addresses one of the *fundamental* issues of life – why do people *suffer*?

The disciples and the Pharisees had their own answers, but they got it wrong.

·         This will be the topic today.

·         Please text in any questions you may have.

*John 9:1-5 **ESV* 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.”

Long story short: Jesus heals him, the Pharisees don’t want to believe it, and end up excommunicating him.

*John 9:35-41 ESV* 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.

This is *off-topic*: In John classic literary style, we see a rich *metaphor*: This one man represents the entire *human* *condition*.

To the Pharisees and the disciples, this man’s blindness was *evidence* of his *sin*.

But in fact, *all* of us our *sinners* and we are have been *blinded* by *sin*.

·         The *irony *is that Jesus *could not* heal the Pharisees because they thought that they could see.

Ä  Back to the topic of *suffering*:

 

 

*Sin = suffering?

*

 

*Blindness* is fitting *metaphor* for living in fallen, dark world.

We have a *sense* that thing should be *better* than they are, yet we *cannot* *see* it.

The most *tangible* *effect* of living in a dark world is *suffering*; we live in a world filled with suffering God *never* *intended*.

·         Suffering constantly reminds us we are not *at home*.

As I said, the question of suffering is one of the *deepest* *problems* we face: If God is *good* and *powerful*, why does he allow suffering?

·         Some deny he exists and think our suffering *pointless* and *random*.

But if you believe that God exists, than he is strong, and he is able, you are forced to examine *why* God allows suffering.

I have said that the best answer for that is our *free* *will*, that our *sin* brings *suffering*.

This largely true, but it’s *disconcerting* that that’s the disciples’ answer:

 

*John 9:2 **ESV* “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

 

·         It was rather *tactless *to ask this right in front of the guy.

Notice the assumption that it had to be one or the other.

They didn’t even *consider* any other *possibilities*.

They had a simple equation: *Suffering* = *sin*.

*of Job & Tilton*

 

There is *usually* a *direct* or *indirect* cause and effect relationship between *sin* and *suffering*.

But it doesn’t *always* work that way.

·         If you read the Bible, this might sound familiar.

The story of *Job* is all about a *righteous* man who *suffered* greatly.

The book of Job is a *vital* *balance* to the entire OT, because sin usually brings suffering and righteousness usually brings blessings.

But what do you do when it *doesn’t* *work*?

In Job, his *friends* try to *comfort* him by telling him that it is *his fault* everything happened to him, which is about as effective as you would think.

As you read Job, you can hear a *panic* in their *voice*.

They had set up an entire system of *security* based upon their belief that bad things only happened to bad people, and they were scared to death of having that system failing.

·         It’s a lot like the “*Health* & *Wealth*” movement which teaches that if you’re not rich and happy, it is because of *your* sin.

When it doesn’t “work” will *test* our *faith* in God like nothing else.

If we suffer because our own sin, we can understand it.

But how can we *trust* God who *allows* us to suffer?

 

·         What is so interesting is *God’s answer* to Job: “I am God, I will do as I see fit.”

 

God is so far above us, but he also shows himself to *be loving*, especially in the *Incarnation*.

Ultimately, we are like *Micah’s* *cat* being force fed.

*not “why” but “What now”*

 

When we see suffering, or when we suffer, our *first instinct* as humans is to ask “*Why*?”.

But why is that *so important* to us?

 

Q   Would it make us suffer any *less*?

The reason we want to know “why” is because we want to know the *purpose*.

Suffering is more *endurable* if we know there is a *purpose*; that is why we lock up the *mugger*, but pay the *dentist*.

·         This means the *real question* we need answered is “*what now?*”

 

*John 9:3 *  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

This does not mean “God struck him blind so that I can heal him.”

I *don’t think* it comments on the *why* as much as what God was going to *do* *now*: Heal him so that God would be *glorified*.

·         In this context, Jesus means that the miracle would *vindicate* his *authority *as the Messiah.

Yet even still, I think that this answer *bears* *truth* for each of us: We do *not* need to *suffer* in *vain*.

We may *never* see the reason, but we can still *benefit*.

It is God’s promise that no pain need be *wasted*:

 

ESV *Romans 8:28* ¶ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God is in the *business* of *redeeming* *pain*.

He has done it for the entire world and he can do it for us.

I think that when we suffer, there are some key things that we must do so that we not suffer in vain.

 

1.

Ask if the suffering was *self-inflicted* – perhaps ask others as well.

Lots of people blame everyone else.

 

2.

Ask how you can *learn* or *grow* from your suffering.

3.

Ask how God can use your suffering to *help others* – like this blind man, God’s work is manifested in us.

 

4.

*Lean* into God.

The *enemy* would love to use suffering to drive you *further* from God, but God would use it to drive you *closer* to him.

God can make even our *suffering* *sweet* if it drives us to him.

Again: God is in the business of *redeeming* *pain*.

The most *tragic* *thing* in history was the *Fall*, yet the *greatest* event (the *Incarnation*) resulted from it.

*Q&A*

 

 

*Closing *

 

·         This only works if we *desire God*.

Pain is God’s *megaphone* for rousing a *deaf* *world*, or it is a slap across the face of a blind man, which seems cruel, unless the house is on fire.

*Without* *God*, there is *no* *promise* that our suffering will be redeemed.

It is only by bringing our *suffering* and *darkness* into the light can it be transformed into joy (cf.

*Great Divorce, 67*)