U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris, Jr.
Fort Ord Chapel
Seaside, CA
2 March 2008
Big Idea: God is eventually given the proper praise by demonstrating His miraculous light (in our lives) through our disabilities.
Scriptural References: EAI (Expository; Application; Illustration) John 5:5-17 (Jesus healing a man (invalid/worthless) that had been ill for 38 years; Matthews 9:27-31 (Jesus heals two blind men); Job; Jeremiah 1:5a; Psalms 139:13-16; John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life; 1 John 1:7 (KJV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin; John 9:5 (KJV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world;John 9:1-7 (NIV); Note: The pool of Siloam was symbolic of God’s own gracious presence with His people; Leviticus 21:16-21 NIV (The LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron: ’For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; … );Psalms 51:17 NIV (The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise); 2 Kings 5:1-13 NIV (Naaman Healed of Leprosy); Mark 10:46-53 NIV (Blind Bartimeus); Exodus 15:26 NIV He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”);
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: John 9:1-7 NIV
II. READ THE PERICOPE: John 9:1-7 NIV
III. READ THE TEXT: John 9:2-3 NIV (His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life).
IV. PURPOSE: To encourage the hearers to affirm to others that God is eventually given the proper praise by demonstrating His miraculous light (in our lives) through our disabilities.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “The Disabled Disciple”
VI. Introduction: Just for a few minutes, with the promise that you WILL NOT fall asleep, I would like for everyone to close their eyes; and keep them close until I request for you to open them.
Now, with your eyes close, imagine if you will, living during a time when Electricity has not been created. The only form of light provided is through the burning of candles and observing the natural light from the stars and moonlight at night; and the sunlight during the day.
In fact, there aren’t any lights as we have grown accustom to lights in the 21st Century. As you might imagine, living in a time such as this would make the smallest task of going to one’s neighbor’s house (a mile or two down the road) very challenging to say the least. Imagine, living during a time when only the “well to do” could afford candles and you’re not one of them.
That’s right – no candles and no street lights equal darkness. It’s so dark that you can’t see your hands only inches from your face. Under these circumstances, as one might imagine, managing one’s daylight time becomes a premium.
Everyone is trying to ensure that they get as much work done as possible, during the day, because at night (without candles) no one can work; because no one can see (except by candlelight).
”You may open your eyes.”
*******TAKE 5 BEATS*******
MOVE 1: Now, my brothers and sisters, what I have just described to you is not only the conditions which existed during the First Century in the Middle East;
a. but worst, these are the conditions that exist today (during the day and during the night) for all babies that are born blind.
b. According to The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia (as recent as March 2005) A major public health milestone had been achieved in the United States.
c. The rubella virus, a major cause of serious birth defects such as deafness and blindness, also known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), is no longer considered to be a major public health threat in the United States.
d. This is great news because During 1964 and 1965 a rubella epidemic broke out in the United States and caused …
e. … an estimated 12.5 million cases of rubella and 20,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) which led to more than … 3,580 babies born blind...
******Take 5 Beats******
MOVE 2: If we think this was horrific.
a. Can we even imagine how much worst things might have been for mothers (and their babies) during the First Century in Palestine (or the Middle East)?
b. What type of ministry did the “Jewish Community of Faith” provide to parents of babies that were born disabled?
c. How many Jewish babies (in the First Century) were born blind?
d. Could blind babies one day grow up to become blind priest or blind pastors?
e. Is it possible that their blindness was apart of God’s perfect will for their lives?
******Take 5 Beats******
MOVE 3: Those are all questions that many of the Jewish parents had to face at some point in time.
a. Because, according to the Book of Leviticus – Chapter 21; verses 16-21:
b. The LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron: ’For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God…
c. No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; …
d. … no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.
e. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the LORD by fire…
f. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God…
******Take 5 Beats******
MOVE 4: Therefore, in our text, this morning – LIKE THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS - we too find ourselves – grappling and struggling with the PROBLEM OF SUFFERING.
a. I can’t speak for you.
b. But, If it was possible to do so, I would have probably worn-out my question time with the Lord many years ago (smile).
c. Over the years, I have had questions like: Lord, why did I have to born under these skimpy conditions while others weren’t?
d. Or Lord why did my parents have to be alcoholics while others aren’t?
e. Or my all time favorite question: Lord, why did I have to born an only child while others have siblings?
******Take 5 Beats******
MOVE 5: Well, my brothers and sisters, (this morning) I am honestly a little jealous of the disciple, …
a. … because my personal questions were on the ears of God for many years, before I was able to hear his answers.
b. But, in our text this morning, the Lord answers their question immediately.
c. For don’t you remember: They asked: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
d. Jesus could have reminded his disciples of the Story of Job.
e. And how they had been taught as Jewish Youth that Job did nothing wrong to contribute to the trials and tribulations that he encountered.
f. Because the troubles that were manifested in Job’s life; were orchestrated pay grades beyond him.
*****Take 5 Beats*****
MOVE 6: Jesus could have reminded the disciples of the simple truth of Job: Nothing happens without God’s involvement; and prior approval.
a. But, he didn’t.
b. Instead, he demonstrated before their very eyes one of His most powerful miracles ever:
c. The timeliness of the question; and the presence of the young blind beggar could not have been by accident.
d. Therefore, I submit to you; that this miracle account (like the miracles that occur in our lives) had been orchestrated from heaven by God himself.
e. In other words, this young fellow was created and born with this PURPOSE in mind.
f. The many years of anguish that he and his parents had endure were NOT all for nothing.
g. Because, he was created to be a “Disabled Disciple”.
******Take 5 Beats*******
MOVE 7: Someone whom others that are disable could instantly relate to.
a. For you see, my brothers and sisters, Jesus did many miracles:
b. In Matthews 9:27-31, he healed 2 Blind men.
c. For the Bible says Two blind men followed Jesus, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" Jesus said to them "Do you believe I am able to do this?"
d. They said to Him "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes and said "According to your faith let it be done to you." And their eyes were opened…
e. And, in John 5:5-17, we are told of Jesus healing a man who had been ill for 38 years, laying by the pool of Bethesda.
f. But, both of those miracles, like all of the others, were miracles that restored individuals to their former state.
g. But, this miracle gave sight to an individual for the first time. For the first time in this young man’s entire life – he was able to see.
******Take 5 Beats******
MOVE 8: The QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IS …
a. WHO IS ultimately responsible for the disability that we find ourselves toiling with?
b. Is it God?
c. Is it our parents or are we to blame?
d. The Psalmist says (in Psalms 139:13-16):
e. Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
f. God says in Jeremiah 1:5a (New Living Translation): “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart …
******* Take 5 Beats*******
CELEBRATION:
My brothers and sisters, … Jesus came to shine light on darkness.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a]it (John 1:3-5)
For … I heard Jesus say: “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,… to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
