Light to See

"LIGHT TO SEE"

a message by Rev. Dr. Bruce Havens

Coral Isles Church, U.C.C.

July 27, 2025

John 9:1-7 NRSV

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?” ³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷ saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

What are you focused on these days?  Are you most focused on work? Family? Catching the big tarpon?  Getting ready for lobster season?  Lots of options aren’t there? A lot of us spend a lot of time focusing on these things [ hold up iPhone ].  We spend hours reading terrible news and worrying about terrible people.  I’ve even learned a new word for this: “doomscrolling.”  How many of us spend way too much time “doomscrolling?”  Then we try to deal with the anxiety, depression, fear and other negative stuff as a result!  If that’s what we are focused on it can leave us in a very dark place, with no light to see a better way or a better day.

I can see some parallels between our time and Jesus’ time.  The Scripture this morning tells a story of misplaced focus.  Jesus and the boys are walking along and they see a man blind from birth.  The disciples are focused on their theology of sin.  They ask Jesus who sinned, the man, or his parents.  Now we might recoil from such a question in our day.  Our theology is a little different, I hope.  But none of us can deny that that is a typical Christian theology – both historically, and in some circles today.  The disciples’ focus was on “who sinned.”  Who is the guilty party?  Who can they condemn?

Jesus immediately blows up that theology.  He changes their focus.  He says neither the man nor his parents sinned.  The situation is an opportunity to see God’s light at work in the world.  Huzzah!  Instant change of focus.  We are no longer talking about negative causes or effects.  We are talking about the power of God to bring light to dark situations. 

Jesus makes a paste of dirt and spit, packs it onto the man’s eyes, tells him to go do a symbolic washing in the community hot tub, and voila! The man returns “able to see.”  Everyone happy now?

Well, not exactly.  Like last week, there is a lot more to this story than the part of Scripture I read to you a few minutes ago.  The story continues with a lot of people who have misplaced focus.  First the neighbors are so shocked at the man’s healing that they cannot see that it is the same man.  “Is this the man born blind,” they ask.  Then the religious folks get involved.  Oh, yeah, you know this isn’t going to go well, right?  The folks in charge of the religious rule-keeping are mad! Jesus healed on the Sabbath.  Healing was work, and that broke the rules.  It was a sin! That means the guy who did this – Jesus – must be a sinner!  They ask the formerly blind man, “Who did this and who do you say he is?” The man says, “I don’t know, a prophet I guess.”  He can see now, but he can’t see the full truth.

Not good enough for the Rule Protectors. They ask his parents.  Mom and Dad are afraid of getting thrown out of the church if they say Jesus was the Messiah, so they say, “ask our son, he’s an adult.”  They ask the son. He gets sassy: “why do you ask, do you want to become his disciples too?”  That doesn’t go over well.  They basically cuss him out, tell him to go “you-know-where.”

The focus changes when the man runs into Jesus a little later and Jesus asks him if he can see who the Son of Man is?  That’s a title that also meant “Son of God.” The man says, “let me see him!”  So Jesus opens his eyes spiritually as well as physically!  But the Religious Rule Keepers are still upset and Jesus, rather salty at this point, tells them that their blindness is the belief that they see and know everything, but focus on the wrong things.

I think you all are sophisticated enough that I don’t think I need to make a bunch of comparisons with our day.  Besides, I’d come off sounding just as judgy as they often are, wouldn’t I?  I would rather turn our focus to what I believe John’s Gospel is trying to get us to see when we look to Jesus.  This Gospel sees Jesus as “the light of the World.” In fact, the Gospel uses the word light 23 times.  It invites us to see him clearly as the most important thing to focus on in life. 

The Gospel begins by saying Jesus with God in the beginning as “the word,” the word becomes life, and the life was and is light that helps us see God.  Jesus’ first encounter is with Nicodemus, who comes to him “in the dark” looking to be enlightened.  In the chapters just before our reading today, Jesus has come to celebrate the “Festival of Lights.” It was part of his religion.  He stands up and announces that he is the Light of the World.  When we find a way to see Jesus as our light, it invites us to focus on “doing the works of God” rather than on the brokenness of the world around us, or inside us.  It invites us to see and do the works of God, not because we are miracle-workers, but because God’s work is still brings light to life in the world.

So what does it mean to “refocus” on the Light that is Jesus?  How do you see it?  Well, obviously, it helps to open your eyes spiritually.  The great thing about the power of light – physically or spiritually - is that the darker the room, or the life, or the world, the easier it is to see even the tiniest of light.  But if we are focused on the darkness of the temptation is to close our eyes to try to shut out the darkness.  The only problem is then it becomes almost impossible for the light to enter the darkness inside us. 

Here’s where I want to urge us to focus.  Focus first on who Jesus is. Jesus is the light of the world.  Look for his light in the human things he did: healing, blessing, teaching the truth about the light and love of God. Then see the deeper truth.  Jesus was the light that made it possible to see the real God.  Not a God of darkness or hate or fear.  The God of light is a God whose love conquers darkness.  And God’s light never fails

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus brought that light to life.  He was the light, and the window through which we see the light, and the mirror that reflects light of God.  Look for it in the world out there, in God’s intention, and in God’s reality.  We need to focus on that light, not the darkness of events, or people’s intentions, or evil that human systems can inflict.  We can see it, of course, but that is not our focus.  We can even see the light of Christ through a prism, which reveals the rainbow-colored light of God’s love for all creation.

You and I – we must be windows and mirrors for the light.  The light has overcome the power of darkness, and will always overcome it.  Focus on the Light. Jesus Christ is the light and the light reigns. He reigns! Our focus is on Jesus.  He reigns - and in him, God reigns forever and ever, and ever.  AMEN!