"The Inward Journey...TRUST "
- Rev. Bob Thomas
Senior Pastor
the Epistle Lesson:
Ephesians 5:8-14
the Gospel Lesson:
John 9: 1 - 11
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A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out on the back porch and bring her the broom.
The little boy turned to his mother and said, “Mamma, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.”
The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. “You don’t have to be afraid of the dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there. He’ll look after you and protect you.”
The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure he’s out there?”
“Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him,” she said.
The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called out, “Jesus? If you’re out there, would you please hand me the broom?”
Today our Inward Journey brings us to the issue of TRUST. Have you ever gone on a trust walk? You know with a blind fold and an obstacle course and a guiding voice. A fourth grade teacher in New Jersey was a bit apprehensive when she introduced herself to her class on the first day of the new school year. One of her students that year was blind. How would he cope, she wondered? How would the other students treat him? Since the young boy was comfortable with himself and his challenges, the teacher was soon at east. Nevertheless, she wanted the other students to know and experience, “first-hand,” the manner in which their fellow classmate, experienced the world.
So a few weeks later, she invited the class to spend a day blindfolded. They all agreed to participate. They made their way through their classes, lunch, recess and study time, sharing the experience of their blind classmate at least for a day. Occasionally he offered them advice that helped them to begin to trust others and to adapt, as he had, in a world without light.
In the gospel lesson today we are introduced to a man blind from birth who offers us some very important advice and insight about trusting Jesus, who the gospel of John identifies as the “Light of the World.”
In the cultural world of first-century Palestine, blindness as well as many illnesses were regarded as a sign of sin, either by ones’ parents or by the person himself. The disciples ask Jesus whose sin caused the man’s blindness. Jesus responds by choosing to make the blind man a sign of God’s power. Jesus takes some mud made from dirt and his own spit and anoints the man’s eyes with the mud. He then orders the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. As a result of his anointing, the man who was born blind begins to see not only physically (as remarkable and unprecedented as that was) but also with the spiritual sight of faith. He believes and in his believing bears witness to and worships Jesus first as healer, then as prophet, and then as one who is from God. We see this man as he makes his inward journey and comes to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
When the man returns from washing, able for the first time to see, the drama that unfolds (It’s the whole 9th chapter. I hope you’ll go home and read it this afternoon.) The drama is one of the most lively exchanges in the Gospel, full of complicated characters and intriguing debates. The blind man becomes the source for a theological argument about the identity of this Jesus who has healed the man. Jesus chose a seemingly inconsequential character to reveal his own messianic role as the Light of the world. By the end of the story, the blind man makes the remarkable affirmation that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God.
In the companion epistle lesson for today, St. Paul reminds the church in Ephesus that though “once you were darkness, …now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of Light.” (5:8). Because they were separated from God they were in darkness, but now they have an opportunity to shine and transmit God’s light through their behaviors, attitudes and lifestyle. The key is to “live as children of light.”
Is this difficult?
Yes. But is it worth it?
Absolutely. Once again, there is going to be some effort involved…the inward journey is not a stroll in the park. It involves “putting away falsehood”…giving up stealing…stripping away “all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice…” turning away from fornication and greed, as well as “obscene, silly vulgar talk.” (4:25—5:4) Paul has no trouble getting down to basics.
Paul wants the Ephesians to remove all the impurities that keep them from being shining beacons for Christ. And Paul wants the very same for each one of us. So, take a moment to think about the actions and attitudes in your life that tend to block out God’s light. What can you do to push back the darkness and trust Jesus the one who is Light of the World?
- Put away falsehood, and start to be honest with yourself and others about who you really are.
- Give up stealing by filing a complete and accurate Form 1040.
- Strip away all bitterness and wrath by reaching out to a relative who you’ve been avoiding or feuding with for years.
- Turn away from fornication and greed, as well as obscene and vulgar talk—behavior that might have its momentary pleasure, but always leaves you feeling dark and dirty in the long run.
“Live as children of the Light,” says St Paul, “for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” (vs8-9). When you live in such a way, you find yourself changing from one who shrinks back into the darkness to one who is willing to stand as a light in the midst of what ever darkness life brings your way.
Remember the man born blind from the Gospel story, blind from birth, then healed by the masters’ touch. He stands boldly before his neighbors and the Pharisees and affirms: “All I know is that I was blind and now I see.” Jesus did this for me. The man born blind now able see stands up for Jesus. His inward journey has brought him to the feet of the messiah and now he is thrust into the public eye and the man trusts in reality that transformed him and made him whole.
As the church of Christ we are the witnesses on whom God trusts to witness to the truth that Jesus is the light of the world still today. But there are times when I struggle and cling to the darkness rather than trust the light. At times my disbelief clouds my faith. My arrogance about the rightness of my ideas blocks my convictions especially when God acts differently than I expect. I am afraid of being left out or shunned so I keep my faith hidden in certain situations. As I pass the halfway mark on my inward journey this Lent, I am confronted by this gospel story of the man born blind and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and what all of this means in my life today.
Two and a half weeks ago, when I heard the words prostate cancer I experienced a darkness that I know so many of you have felt in your lives when you have gotten a serious medical diagnosis. I have received tremendous help and support from my family, from you the Epworth community and staff and dear friends from across the state. I wish I could say that I have no doubts or fears and that I am trusting completely in the Lord and never waiver. I’m trying but there are lingering questions. None of you has breathed a word about this but I have a hunch you are thinking this…I know I am. I’m the new senior pastor and haven’t been here two years yet and now I have cancer and am facing surgery ...Epworth has already been through some rough times these past several years and things are beginning to get better…attendance is not where it should be but the financial picture is moving in the right direction, our programs and ministries are strong and there is a good spirit here and it’s getting better. What can I learn from this experience? What can we learn from all this?
I am so grateful for Ken and the entire staff. I don’t have any doubts that for the time I am away everything will go smoothly and you will each do your part.
And I want you to know that there are exciting plans coming from Task Force 50 that will give each of you a chance to engage in the visioning and dreaming process for the future of Epworth…to celebrate and enhance what we do so well as a church that is passionate about mission, youth, education and music. Now I know that we need to refocus and redirect some of our energies into new ministry areas that will help us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the un-churched in our immediate area and there are so many who need to hear the good news right here in our neighborhood.
But for what ever reason my inward journey is taking me into a period of darkness. And there is no easy way out or quick fix. I know that. I have experienced periods of darkness before in my life. And I don’t like them but I have learned that the amazing thing about the darkness is the sustaining presence of the one who steps into the darkness with us…mixes dirt and spittle to anoint and heal. This one is also the one who stepped into the darkness of this sinful world and gave his life even unto death on the cross.
I know I am not alone. I have learned so much from you and so many other parishioners over the years who have faced all kinds of darkness… I do trust in the Lord and I have a hope that is built on faith and faith alone.
I do trust in Jesus. He is the light of the world…and the darkness will never overcome him. Thanks be to God.
Amen and Amen.
