42 years ago today on July 1, 1976 there was a baby fighting for his life in the PICU at Saint Frances Hospital in Peoria. The baby had begun to breathe while still in the womb, and his lungs coated with fluid cutting off oxygen to the brain. The truth is that the doctors should have done a C-Section. The baby was at least two weeks over due, maybe even a month overdue. He was 10.8 pounds and 23 inches long at birth. Not a typical newborn size. But C-Sections were not as common back then, and on the night the baby was born the doctor was too drunk to notice that the baby was in distress. July 1st was the ninth day in the PICU for this baby whose parents we told on June 22, the night of his birth, that he would never live through the night. At some point on June 23rd the baby’s parents were told that it was a miracle that he made it through that first night. Perhaps that was why his nurse Sally refused to leave his side on those first couple of nights. She refused to give up on this baby who was already a fighter. Maybe she saw something in that baby that the doctors couldn’t or wouldn’t see. As the days went on the baby grew stronger and stronger. Yet, his parents were told that perhaps they should find a good home for the baby, because he would be too much of a burden to care for at home. After all, the doctors said, this boy will never walk or talk. This is a story I think of quite often at this time of year. The baby did end up getting released from the hospital on July 4, 1976. And, after a brief show and tell at the campground his grandparents were staying at celebrating the holiday, the baby did go home where he was cared for by his parents. I guess that is the reason why the 4th of July is such a special holiday for me. As the son of a Navy Vietnam veteran, I was raised to respect and be thankful for my country. But, for me, the 4th of July is a celebration of God’s power. You see, it is that day that I celebrate the day God ended my birth story, and empowered to grow up to become the man that stands before you today as a minister of God’s love, God’s grace, God’s truth, and God’s power.
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus encounters a man who was born blind. In that time many people who were blind or otherwise disabled were allowed to make a living by begging, and the best place to beg was near the temple because not only was it a high traffic area, but also because people going to and from the temple were more likely to be charitable. When the disciples saw this man they asked Jesus a very theological question. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” It may not seem like a theological question to us.. In fact, it kind of seems silly. However, in that time Jewish people believed that disabilities were the result of the sin of either the parents or of the one with a disability. The theologians of the time, the Pharisees and Sadducees, would even hold debates on whether or not one could sin in the womb. Of course, we know that disabilities are not connected to sin. (most of the time anyway.) Jesus, knowing the common held belief about sin and disabilities, took the disciple’s question as an opportunity to teach about God’s power. “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered, “this happened so the power of God could be seen in him. Some translations of this text say so that the works of God may be seen in him, but I think that power is a better word here. I like the word power, because Jesus used his divine power to physically heal the man right after his little teaching moment, but power also sets the stage for the rest of the story of the blind man. This story most likely occurred on the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of the Tabernacles was the last of the three yearly festivals that required Jews to go to Jerusalem to celebrate God’s provision. This festival took place in the fall, and was basically a weeklong celebration of thanksgiving for the harvest that God had provided them by his power. It was the custom of the priests to take water from the water of Siloam and pour it on the altar of the temple on each day of the festival. Throughout the year the water of Siloam was used to baptize convert to the Jewish faith. So it is in that context that Jesus, after rubbing some mud that he made with his own saliva on the man’s eyes, sends the blind man to wash in the water of Siloam to be healed from his blindness. John’s original audience would have no doubt connected this story with the Feast of the Tabernacles when they were reading this Gospel. Jesus could have healed the man by just saying a few words or a countless number of ways, but I believe that Jesus sent the man to the water of Siloam so that everyone watching would connect the healing with the Festival, and by doing so proclaim that God not only has the power to provide a bountiful harvest but also has the power to do things beyond their and our imagination. I believe that everything Jesus did was very calculated. He healed this man to change the man’s physical condition, but, as I said earlier he was seizing the moment to teach everyone in that place about the power of God. I am sure that Jesus knew that the religious leaders would reject this teaching, and they did. Verses 13-34 show that they not only rejected Jesus’ message, but they went further and rejected the man who had been healed. And, of course, Jesus used their refusal to believe in Him and the power of God as yet another teaching moment. The last six verses of this morning’s Gospel reading tell us that God not only has the power to heal us physically, but God also has the power to change us from the inside out. Meaning God’s power can transform us from a sinful human being to a child of God who through God’s power can change the world. The last lesson in John 9 comes through a judgement. It is a judgement of the religious leaders of the time for sure, but to honest I read it as a judgement of all religion. Stay with me. I am a United Methodist through and through. Sometimes I am a Methodist to a fault. As you will grow accustom to, the will almost never a week when I do not reference and or quote John Wesley. I am a Wesley theologian, and I will unpack what that means over the coming weeks. But, my new friends, my brothers and sisters, Jesus did not come to bring religion. He came to set us free to be in relationship with our heavenly Father through him and the Holy Spirit. The message of John 9 is that we must be willing to come to God through Jesus and allow him to heal our spiritual blindness. Most of our spiritual blindness was healed on the day we accepted Jesus Christ as way, the truth, and the life, and as our persoal Savior. But, I believe that our “religion” can make us blind to God’s truth. Sometimes church traditions get in the way of what God is doing because we have never done it that way before. None of us are perfect, but the only way we are truly healed of our spiritual blindness is when we allow God to shape and mold our hearts to break for what breaks His heart. It is only when we allow God to mold and shape that we truly begin to see the truth of God’s love, grace, and power. When we can do that, we can and will start to become people, to become a church that can truly live life to its fullest. When we as a church begin to live life to the fullest, it is then that we can change the world around us. If only the Global church would embrace this truth. Just think what the world would be like,
My seminary professor taught that we should never talk about ourselves in a sermon, but since I would have already received a F for this sermon I am just going to continue telling you a little more about my story. I hope you don’t mind. After all some rules were just made to be broken. I was over a year old when my parents found out that I have Cerebral Palsy. That diagnosis led them to Easter Seals where I received Physical, Occupational, and speech torture I mean therapy. By the age of three I was walking and talking. God’s power is Awesome.
I am occasionally asked by organizations and schools to speak about my disability. During the question and answer part of these sessions, I almost always get asked two questions. The first question is “Are you angry at the doctor who delivered you? And the second question at first seemed a little weird, but now I am used to it, someone almost always ask if there are in benefits to having a disability. The answer to both of these questions always makes me think about our Gospel reading for this morning. In a secular setting I don’t go into the scripture, but I always talk about God when answering these questions. As to the benefits to having a disability I usually say that top ten benefits are Parking, parking, parking, parking…well you get the picture. But, in reality the answer to whether or not I am angry is no, and yes there is one major benefit, besides the parking, of having a disability. I got both answers one hot summer night in 1995 when I read John 9. John 9:3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him.” How can I be mad at a doctor if God is using my Cerebral Palsy to display his power? And, how is there any bigger benefit in life than to have a front row seat, so to speak, when God displays His power? The mere facts that I walked in here today, and I am standing here delivering a sermon are acts of God’s power. But if you think about, at least when it comes to the walking in here part, the same could be said for each one of us. Everything we have is a gift from God. And, there is not a day that goes by that I do not thank God for the abilities to walk and talk. In fact, most mornings it is as one the first things that I do (right after brushing my teeth and getting a cup of coffee of course.) You should too. In fact, if you really stop and think about it, everything we do, we can only do through God’s power and mercy. Thus, our lives, everything we do and say, should reflect the good news that we all have a front row seat as the one true God on the universe displays his power.
Growing I was never allowed to say I can’t. In fact, can’t was a four letter word that I got into more trouble for saying than other four letter words. I guess my parents figured that if they allowed me to say I can’t, I would not accomplish a whole lot. I credit that rule for a lot of things I have been able to do. Like when I was eight, I ran 15 miles in six hours to raise money for Easter Seals. The next year I ran 20. In Jr high, I ran the 800 in track, played in the percussion section in the band, and sang in the choir. During my senior year in high school I went on a 200 mile bike ride to raise money for Easter Seals. As, I told some of you last week, if you read the Journal Star in the 80’s and early 90’s you probably watched me grow up. Even though I credit my parents’ rule of not saying I can’t for those accomplishments, as adult I can look back and see it was really only though God’s power that I was able to do those things.
I still try to never say the word can’t, but it is not always easy. I struggle with the little things in life. Anything that takes fine motor skills can be and often is difficult for me to perform. Take buttoning a shirt for example, it is often hard for me to get the top one button buttoned. However, when I am preforming these tasks I allow myself to say I can’t. I say it in a prayer. I say God, I can’t do this, you are going to have to do it for me. When I say that prayer, the button almost immediately falls right into place. You would think that I would start off with that prayer, but I am fiercely stubborn and usually spend a few minutes trying to perform the task on my own. I can just picture God with his arms crossed smiling or maybe frowning, just patiently waiting for me to ask for His help. God’s power is always available to his children; we just have to be humble enough to ask.
Asking for help and/or receiving help is not an easy thing for me to do, but I think that, if you were honest, you could probably say the same thing for yourself. But sometimes receiving help from another person is a way that we experience God’s power. 2 Samuel 9 does not say that Mephibosheth experienced God’s power through David’s mercy, but I think what David did was and still is an awesome example of how God can use His children to display His truth, His love, His grace and His power. Put yourself in Mephibosheth’s shoes. You are the grandson of the king of Israel, but the king is dead. You dad, the heir of the thrown, is also dead. There is a new king who you don’t really know, and because of an accident you are disabled. You couldn’t run if you wanted to. Then all of sudden a servant of your grandfather named Ziba (I name a cat Ziba once after this servant but I digress) to tell you that the new king has summoned you. At this point you are probably scared to death, but when you get to the palace the new king, David, tells you that you are to live with him for the rest of your life. And, on top of that your father’s land is being restored to you and your children. Wow! If that is not the power and grace of God, I do not know what is. Think how humbled you would feel. Think of all you would have missed if you were able to run away. God will use our limitations or disabilities to put his power on display if we are humble enough to let him.
My brothers and sisters, my new friends, I do not know what the future of Blue Ridge United Methodist Church is going to look like. I have been praying for a month now that God will use this church in a mighty way. And, I believe that He will through His power, if we will only be humble enough to let Him. But, it has to start with us being humble enough to let God work in our own lives. So, I challenge you to ask God to let His power be displayed in your life, and then look for it. God’s power will change you from then inside out if you let. If we all allow God’s power to change us individually, then, I believe, God will do some awesome things in and through this church. After all, the church is not the building we are in, but the people who are here. The mission of this church, of any church, of the Holy small C catholic church is to be a vessel of God’s truth, God’s’ love, God’s grace, and God’s power to the world around them. May God grant us the grace to be a vessel of his truth, his love, his grace, and his power to each other, to our family and friends, to our community, to our country, and to the world we live in, Amen
