2/24/08 - Lent 3 - John 9:1-7,13-17,34-39

FIND THE BLIND
- Don't just help them see
- Help them see Jesus

A Christian person is a nice person, a kind person, a giving person. A Christian person lends a hand when one is needed. A Christian person is ready and willing to help others in any situation. But being a Christian is more than just being nice. Nice is not enough. In fact, a simple outward display of kindness would be pointless unless that Christian truly cares for a person’s soul. We have an example of that today in the book of John. Jesus walks by a man who was blind from birth. And after a brief discussion with his disciples, in which he teaches them that the man was suffering in that way so that the work of God could be displayed in his life, Jesus makes some mud with his spit, puts it on the man’s eyes, and tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam. And when the blind man does it, he is no longer blind but can see clearly.
That was a nice thing for Jesus to do, wasn’t it? It was very kind of Jesus to help that man out in that way. But that miraculous healing, that incredible display of kindness and compassion would have been pointless if Jesus hadn’t also cared about the man’s soul. Jesus’ main concern was not that this blind man would see, but that this blind man would see his Savior. What good would it be if the Lord had healed his eyes but not his heart? What lasting benefit would there be for that blind man if he were able to see for the rest of his life but die in spiritual blindness for the rest of eternity? It wouldn’t have been loving on Christ’s part - in fact, it would have been down right cruel - to give that man physical sight but not give him the spiritual insight of faith. Of course, Christ didn’t do that and he never stopped at healing someone’s physical ailments because he always knew what was most important.
How many people around you are blind? And, of course, I’m not talking about the lack of physical sight, but the lack of faith. How many of your family members, relatives, and friends do not know their Savior or you think they know their Savior but you’re not sure or you hope they know their Savior - if not now, then sometime in the future? I know you have people like that who are close to you. And as Christians I know that you’re nice to them. I know that you are kind and giving and helpful. I know you share a close relationship with those people as a spouse or a child or a parent or friend. You laugh and cry and play and work and live with them. But tell me: what good is it if you let them see your kindness and your friendship and your love but never help them see their Savior? What will it matter how many nice things you do or say to those around you if you don’t meet them one day in heaven?
You are sitting here today listening to the grand and glorious message about your Savior. You are sitting among brothers and sisters in Christ praising your Lord, but those you know who are blind are not sitting here with you. Is that because they have rejected the Word so thoroughly? Is that because they have refused your invitations so vehemently? Or is it because you have not tirelessly helped them to see their Savior like a Christian should? If those who are blind - the ones you love and care about - are not here, if they are not reading the Word on a regular basis, if they are not hearing about their Savior… you should be ashamed. I am. I’m ashamed a hundred times over. Because I’ve been nice to hundreds of people. I’ve been kind and helpful and giving to many blind souls throughout my life. But what’s the point? Who cares if I was nice to them if I never helped them with what they really needed? What does it matter if they saw my kindness but never saw their Christ? And I have no excuse. I have no excuse for not showing the blind the light of their Lord. What excuse do you have?
Jesus, of course, never needed to give an excuse because he always cared for people’s souls. He cared for the soul of that blind man: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Jesus asked the one who had once been blind. Jesus didn’t ask him if he had been good. Jesus didn’t ask him if he had been acting like a Christian. He asked him if he believed in his Savior. Because that man’s salvation didn’t depend on how he had lived his life. It depended on the one in whom he believed. “‘Lord, I believe,’” the man said; and he worshiped him.” And so I ask you: not if you’ve been good, not if you’ve acted like a Christian, not even if you’ve faithfully shown the blind their Savior throughout your life; I ask you this: “Do you believe in the Son of Man? Do you believe that he has come to this earth to live as a human being? Do you believe that he died on the cross, suffered the torments of hell, rose from the dead, and sits at the right hand of his Father in heaven? Do you believe that Jesus is your Savior from all of your sins? Do you believe that you are forgiven?” I trust that all of you are gladly and confidently saying in your hearts, “Yes, I do believe. I trust in my Lord. I rely on my God and Savior. I know that he has forgiven me all my sins - even those sins of holding him back from the blind.” I know you believe, and because you believe, that means Christ has already found you. He has already sought you out and turned your spiritual blindness into faith in him. In fact, he did the same thing to you that he did to the blind man in the story before us today.
The man who had once been blind was essentially excommunicated by the Pharisees because he trusted in Jesus. And Scripture says that “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him…” Jesus went looking for him! Jesus searched for him until he was found because Jesus’ work was not done. He was not satisfied that this man could now see - because in fact he was still blind. He still did not know exactly who his Savior was until Jesus told him directly, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking to you.” Jesus sought this man out and directed his attention to his Savior. Just like he has done for us. We did not know him when we were unbelievers. We were not looking for him. He was looking for us. He found us. He spoke to us through his Word. And he let us see our Savior through the gift of faith. The Lord was not just nice to us. The Lord was not just kind. He passionately cared about our souls. And he still does.
And he wants you to passionately care about the souls of others. Jesus found you. Now he wants to use you to find others. So find the blind. And you’ve already found some! That friend, that relative, that family member who needs to see their Savior, those people who are spiritually blind, those people who don’t know what they are missing will never know unless you give the Lord an opportunity to do something about it. Don’t just be nice to them. Don’t just be kind and helpful. Help them see Jesus. Invite to take them to church with you every single Sunday. Offer to bring them to Bible study whenever you can. Give them my information whenever they may need it. Point them to a devotion book, a Scripture passage, the WELS website, a printed sermon, another Christian friend as many times as you are able. Do not let another opportunity slip by. Do not let another person pass away without giving them your full effort. Do not stop caring for their souls. Everyone is worth that kind of effort. No one is lost until the Lord says so. And remember: the Lord is much more powerful than the most stubborn of hearts, the most calloused of consciences, or the blindest of eyes.
You have the duty and the joy as a Christian to find the blind. We have the duty and the joy as a Christian congregation to find the blind. Not wait and see. But go and find. Jesus went and found the man in our story to bring him to faith. Jesus didn’t wait for the man to come to him - because that would have never happened! And Jesus went and found us when we lived in the darkness of unbelief. He didn’t wait for us to come to him - because that would have never happened! We can’t expect people to flock to our congregation because of who we are. We can’t expect people to flock to our congregation when we build a new church building. We can’t expect people to flock to our congregation when we start a preschool. We must go and find. We must go and find. We must make the effort as a congregation. Can we really sit back in good conscience as a congregation without using everything the Lord has given us to find the blind? Can you sit back in good conscience as an individual Christian without doing everything you can to help find the blind? We have work to do. We have thousands of lost souls around us to show their Savior. But what more wonderful thing could we be doing?
We get to show people their Savior! Do you realize how incredible that is?!? WE get to show them the one who died for them, the one who willingly shed his blood so that they could go to heaven! We are able to offer light to the blind! The only light there is. The only light that can pierce through that darkness. And the great part about that is: the Lord promises to bless our efforts. He will make sure his Word is heard, he will make sure that his will is done - maybe not in the way we imagine it, maybe not in the way we plan it, maybe not by the time we want it, but he will bless our efforts as we strive to find the blind. Let us do so with a zeal and a drive and a determination that we have yet to show as a congregation. And let us do so as individuals as well. Just in time for Easter. Just in time to show the light of Christ’s resurrection to those living in the blindness of sin. And that Easter celebration is less then a month away. So go, find the blind. Fill this room with them. Give them the opportunity to see the light of Christ. And let them be found by the only one that can truly find them.
Amen.

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.” - Psalm 90:17