Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 19 March 2023, by Aime Girimana. The scripture readings that day were John 9:1-41.

NO CONDEMNATION IN GOD!

I can bear all kinds of pains, whether it is physical or mental pains. So I always choose to be fine!

For those who are aware of my situation, you know what I am talking about.

The only situation where I hardly bear my feeling is to hear people's comments/condemnations about my personal life.

I am not pointing at comments about my professional performance because I know I am not perfect, so those comments are fine to me because they can help me to improve my work.

Here I am talking about comments on my personal life from people who have no idea why and how I found myself in this kind of condition. 

Back to our bible reading today, there are many people in need, like the blind man, who are victims of such kinds of comments/condemnations.

 Thus, such practices are very dangerous because someone in need may miss the opportunity to get help or even discourage people who want to offer help.

You know, for a human being, after receiving false information, it is easy for a potential healer/giver to say, why should I help? Simply and politely, you say, I am sorry, I understand your situation, but I am not able to help. 

 

Unfortunately, those kinds of comments/condemnations may come from us Christians, and today Gospel reading, we know that those negative comments may even come from Jesus' Disciples.

 1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind."

Sickness or disability are not necessarily the result of someone's sin. 

Everything happens for a purpose. God may use sickness, disability, pains and sufferings to reveal God's mighty power "…… he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him".

Human being's judgment standard: condemnation "because of his sin or his parent's sin" How a man born blind could commit a sin? That was not likely possible; the disciples knew it, but still, they insisted on condemning him or his parents.

At the end of the day, a Human being's standard is all about oneself. I deserve more than he/she does. I am better than him/her. My mistake is lesser than his/hers. His/her sin is bigger than mine. 

Human condemnation goes beyond that, and here we see that condemnation was also addressed to both the healed and the healer/ receiver /giver. 

1. God's judgment's standard: No condemnation

Does this mean that we are free to commit sins? The answer is a big NOOOOOO! 

Isaiah 1:15-16 "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you;

 even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!.....learn to do right, seek justice, plead for the oppressed, the fatherless, widow."

Though human beings treat their sin as smaller than others' sins, it is not the case in God's eyes; there is no smaller or bigger sin. We sin by action or omission. 

God's judgement: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him". 

In the season of Lent, we should remember that it's a journey leading to this very truth "No Condemnation in God". Instead, all the way to calvary, he will bear our sins on our behalf and set us free because he knows our particular needs.  

1. God knows each one's particular needs. 

In addition to the healed blind man story, I will encourage you to read King David's story. He is one of the witnesses of the fact that God knows our needs in all circumstances (Ps 23). He is able to transform someone's life "from mess to messenger". 

                       -Jesus took the initiative. When Jesus saw the blind man, he came to him; the blind man did not come to Jesus or call him he didn't ask for anything from Jesus: "………, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes".

 At this stage, the blind man didn't know what was going on, and he seemed to know very little about Jesus.

                       -In his time, not our time: Jesus took the initiative to heal the blind man straight away and on the Sabbath day to challenge the law and tradition. To reveal that God's work happens whenever and wherever needed.  

                      -Using any means, sometimes using things which do not make sense to professionals.

Jesus performed many miracles, and he used different methods of healing in each case. 

For example, in Mark 8: 23-25, Jesus healed another blind man. There was a demand from people, and Jesus did perform sight healing action and follow up "He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?" 24 And the man looked up and said, "I can see people, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 

In today's case, Jesus used saliva as in Mark's gospel case plus mud, there was no demand, he took the initiative, and he didn't do any follow-up. In other words, the born blind man's healing is not about the method but about God's power. 

                         -Jesus expects us to take action. In this context, Jesus did not promise the blind man that he would gain his sight if he washed in the Pool of Siloam (7), but he simply asks the man to take action. Meaning that he would gain his sight only if he did what Jesus told him to do. Sometimes, we do receive only some guidance from God; what we need to do is only to obey.

The blind man responded with faith-filled action. The healing would not happen unless the man responded with those faith-filled, obedient actions.

The blind man had to find his way down to the pool of Siloam and down its steps to the pool itself; imagine a blind man walking with mud in his eyes! "He went and washed". 

That is the faith and obedience you and I should have.

By doing so, God is able to perform a transformation of your life, just as you are, so significantly that many will find it hard to believe. Because there is no condemnation in God. 

Miracles will happen in your life to the point that everyone who sees it will be full of questions about how it happened.

We were told that even religious leaders reached the point that they had doubts and disagreements on Jesus, and they decided to approach the healed man. They thought they would get more information regarding Jesus, which meant the healer.

A poor blind man who didn't have that much knowledge about Jesus: all he knew was that Jesus was his name "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash".

1. Lesson to learn. 

                   -Full trust in God.

Some people refuse to commit themselves to Christ out of fear of losing this or that favor or fear of how others might react. The blind man and his family were afraid of being kicked out of the synagogue (22). 

Some people do not know how to put their trust in the Lord.

Are you afraid of committing yourself to God because of rejection? The assurance has been given to you and me as long as you believe in him. (35-38) Jesus then made his to meet the healed man and receive him. It hurts to be rejected by others, but God has consolation for us in Jesus Christ.

 "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. 'Tell me so that I may believe in him.' Jesus said, 'You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.' Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshipped him." (35-38)

Today you were asked the same question, what should be your answer?

In this case, we have a clear message that we shouldn't base our faith on our personal experience with God; we should also base it upon God's trust. Our experience of God's work in our life, being able to proclaim loudly, "I was blind now I see" is important because it is a plus to strengthen our faith and the faith of others, but we should also trust God on what he can do. Just go and wash without any promise of gaining his sight.  

                       -Give glory to God through Jesus by becoming and making his disciples.

But most importantly, following God's work in our lives, I wish everyone should use this powerful statement to ask others this question: Do you also want to become His disciples? Meaning that the healed man proclaimed himself to be a disciple of Jesus, and he then called the religious leader to do so.

Do not be afraid; once you declare your loyalty to Jesus by not denying him before the hostilities, he will reveal more of himself to you (You have both seen Him, and He is talking with you).

Jesus will allow you to endure persecution and rejection once you get greater knowledge of him.

 "You feel rejected from the synagogue like the blind man", Jesus is telling you today, "I will receive you as you are", no matter what your background, character or sickness are because there is no condemnation in God.