Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: John 9,35-41. 17. Sunday after Trinity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

John 9,35-41 4713

17. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 062

Jonah

Emmeran, Bishop, Apostle in Bavaria, Martyr 652

22. September 2013

1. Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works. Amen (The Book of Common Prayer, 17. Sunday after Trinity).

2. Jesus heard that the Pharisees had cast out from the synagogue the man who had been born blind that He had healed, and having found him Jesus said: „Do you believe in the Son of Man?“ He answered: „And who is he, sir, so that I may believe in him?“ Jesus said to him: „You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.“ He said: „Lord, I believe,“ and he worshiped Him. Jesus said: „For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.“ Some of the Pharisees near Him heard these things, and said to Him: „Are we also blind?“ Jesus said to them: „If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say: ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.“

3. Once again, our Gospel lection reveals another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. This incident is so serious that the Pharisees kick a fellow Jew out of the synagogue. What had this man done to so incense the Pharisees? The man had been born blind. Jesus came upon him while He was in or around Jerusalem. Jesus had healed him and now he saw for the first time in his life.

4. One issue for the Pharisees was that Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. Healing was considered work, and work was forbidden on the Sabbath. »Some of the Pharisees said: „This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.“ But other Pharisees said: „How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?“ And there was a division among the Pharisees« (John 9,16). Just prior to the events of John 9, the Pharisees had wanted to stone Jesus to death because He claimed to be Yahweh Himself (John 8,58-59). In short order, a number of the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the first three Commandments: Jesus claimed to be Yahweh; Jesus had therefore taken God’s Name in vain and had misused that Name; Jesus had done work on the Sabbath.

5. After hearing that the man had been excommunicated from the synagogue, Jesus sought him out. In the course of the discussion, the man confesses his belief that Jesus is the Son of Man. This confession proclaims that Jesus is Divine. The man then worships Jesus. By this act of worship, the man confesses that Jesus is God.

6. The question begging to be answered in John 9 is: „Who is Jesus?“ Some of the Pharisees hold Jesus to be a sinful blasphemer. Others of the Pharisees don’t believe that a sinful man would be able to heal a man born blind from birth. Others, like the healed blind man, confess that Jesus is God and subsequently worship Jesus as God. The question is no different 2000 years later. There are only two answers: either Jesus is God, or He is not. Either you believe Jesus when He claims to be the Son of God, or you do not believe Him. In our Sermon lection a Jewish man confesses Jesus to be God, and in our Gospel lection a Gentile woman confesses Him to be God, too. Their faith was created by the proclaimed Word of God. The Apostle Paul teaches: »faith comes from hearing the word of Christ« (Romans 10,17). That word of Christ is both law and gospel. Jesus calls us to repent of our sins and turn to Him as our Savior from our sins. That word of Christ is that He was handed over by the elders, sentenced to death, suffered, was crucified, died, was buried and then rose from the grave. Again Paul: »If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved« (Romans 10,9). If you confess Jesus to be God, then you will worship Him and be a good steward in His church.

7. The irony is that, in the Gospels, those who should believe do not and those who should reject Jesus receive Him. Those who see are blind to Jesus’ Divine nature, but those who are blind see Him and His true nature. The Apostle John explains it this way: »Jesus was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world did not know Him. He came unto His own Jewish people, and His own people did not receive Him. But everyone who received Him, He gave to them power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His Name« (John 1,10-12). The Pharisees should have believed in Jesus, but most of them did not. The blind man and a Gentile woman should have been the last to receive Him, but they believe in Jesus ahead of the Pharisees. The first have become last, and the last have become first (Matthew 19,30).

8. The Holy Spirit has blessed our nation with the freedom to preach the gospel unhindered, but we should not take this great and gracious gift for-granted. Luther once wrote: „Buy while the the market is at your door; gather in the harvest while there is sunshine and fair weather; make use of God’s grace and word while it is there! For you should know that God’s word and grace is like a passing shower of rain [farender platz regen] which does not return where it has once been. It has been with the Jews, but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have nothing. Paul brought it to the Greeks; but again when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the Turk. Rome and the Latins also had it; but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the pope. And you Germans need not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize it and hold it fast, whoever can; for lazy hands are bound to have a lean year“ (WA 15,32.7; AE 45,352).

9. Americans have had the free course of the gospel for 406 years, but our time will one day arrive when the Spirit and the gospel depart for greener pastures and ears open to hearing the preached word. We must pray that the Holy Spirit continues to dwell in our midst and creates faith with the gospel. Our nation faces tumultuous changes in the years ahead, and only the gospel will soothe the wounds our fellow citizens will suffer. As our culture continues to track farther away from Christianity and the fruits of political freedom, scientific discovery and moral fortitude that sprout from Christendom, our culture will become more and more anarchistic, intolerant of Christianity and egotistical. As the Christian influence wanes in our culture, new philosophies will fill the vacuum. Such unchristian philosophies will breed people who are blind to the working of Jesus and deaf to His gospel.

10. The only remedy for this decline is the gospel of Christ. The light of Christ must shine forth in the enveloping darkness. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection for mankind is the balm for tormented consciences. Only the gospel can absolve our sinful guilt. Only the gospel can penetrate the stony, unbelieving heart, take root and grow into a strong tree of faith. Join me in the proclamation of this gospel to the many people in our borough who need to hear it. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bless us and the preaching of loving-kindness of Christ from this pulpit. Study and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures so your faith is strengthened so you may withstand the cultural tribulations that are gathering against us and our Christian brothers and sisters. Be at peace for Christ is with us, in our midst, and He would see us blessed and prospering. Amen.

14. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Your steadfast love endures forever; speak our mouths and work through our hands so that Your faithfulness is revealed to our neighbors and our nation. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sunday, September 22, 2013

John 9,35-41. 17. Sunday after Trinity

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