Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Word is that Judge, Jesus who Took our Judgment on Himself.

4th Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 42:14-21
Psalm 142
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-7, 13-17, 34-39
Luke 15.31-32
Hymns 550-445-547,611-537
Holy Communion

Luke 15.31-32
31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.' "

I just saw this movie named Silent Hill, the name of a once-quaint town, gone horribly wrong. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I would probably watch it again. Although I would NOT recommend any of you to watch it. It's hellish. Love is the eye that can behold such pain. Without spoiling it for you: sadness leads to hate, which leads to death. That's the vicious cycle that this horror movie haunts you with, since art imitates life. Your stroll into the secluded town welcomes you with a big sign, written ominously a paraphrase from St. Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians, (1 Cor 6:3a, 2a) "The saints will judge the angels. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?"

But today in our Gospel text, John the evangelist writes to us. He tells us what WE need to see. …that Jesus heals a man born blind.

I've visited some of our own whose eyes have been struck with disease or trauma. The eye is delicate. Hands have proven their flaw when trying to mend sight gone wrong. I myself have been a fortunate client of one such surgery gone right. Well at least, not horribly wrong. I'm thankful for one of the nation's most respected double-laser surgeons pioneering with space age technology. Whether by laser or by hand, our best and brightest can barely be called an apprentice to the master craftsman in today's text.

Verse 6: Jesus "spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the mas eyes with the mud." This hardly looks like a sterile environment to have your eyes worked on; especially considering today's eye surgery typically ranges in the thousands of your hard earned dinero. For Jesus, it's the perfect environment. If you were looking you'll see why. Because Jesus performs this miracle as an answer to a question.

Verse 2: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" I'd at least hope that his disciples didn't ask this in hearing distance. What next boys, point and ask about the adjacent mother who had a miscarriage, asking Jesus to judge whether it was the Mother's fault, or her parent's fault that the baby was lost At least they are not speculating, their asking their teacher, their "Rabbi." Look at these young vicars. Good thing they're in seminary to get schooled properly. They need it. But they also need to be on the field with Jesus so they can see what He sees.

Verse 3: Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." What a role model. What a rabbi, a good teacher. He shows them that he's not judging.

Don't get dizzy now. Stay with me. Let's wrap our mind around this difficult part. Jesus is God. God is judge. So Jesus is judge. Jesus judges, right?

Unlike the horrifying paraphrases of scripture that media and men make-up to fit their cause, the Word of God speaks no lie, no exaggeration, no recommendation for condemnation. We speak the nation of emancipation. Of Exodus: "Let my people go!" Not in our strength, y'see… but it's in our weakness God's will is revealed. And Jesus the rabbi teaches:

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."
Here Jesus summarizes for us the whole chapter of John 9. It'd be twice as long if we included the whole reading. But you get it, don'cha? When Jesus speaks, it doesn't take much.

We can't peer into that darkness like He can. For this light cannot be destroyed by darkness. There's not even a ying-yang balance. Our work attends to THE Light itself, which is light on the shoulders. How heavy the burden of judge. Such elder-authorities are judged harsher by the on-lookers they may seek to serve.

Our on-going Lenten parable of the Prodigal serves us well. After the younger prodigal returns, the Father heads to the elder son who turns his back on his father's house and wants to bury himself in his work. Once there, he criticizes the Father for treating him badly, for not giving him even the littlest things. In his eyes the Father can see how the eldest son doesn't feel loved. Look here Dad: "these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends." (Luke 15:29)


I have only been a father for a few years. So, let's hear from a more experienced father, Bill Cosby, what he could say in such a moment… when your eldest boy is begging to be judged by judging Dad? Bill Cosby said, "My father established our relationship when I was seven years old. He looked at me and said, "You know, I brought you in this world, and I can take you out. And it don't make no difference to me, I'll make another one look just like YOU." [pointing]

Clearly the parables, the healings, all of faith points to Jesus. And Jesus our righteous elder brother could hail down judgments on the prodigal in all of us. He would have the right too, being God: He could start over; wipe the slate clean. Not have to deal with the pseudo-judges, who when they say they can see only point out how much they can't see. One can reasonably expect more out of the elder brother than to lash out at the father.

But remember, the father does not love the younger son more than the older. He goes out to him as he did the younger. Despite this, the harsh and bitter words from the older son are not answered by judgment from the Father, only grace. "All I have is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. All I have is yours."

This is the kind words that should have filled all of John 9, especially on the Sabbath. Instead we hear disciples ask for blame to be laid with pin-point sniper accuracy, ka-chik-boom! We hear God's chosen people fearfully not tell the whole truth, and lie in the synagogue. Insinuations, accusations, and insults; then excommunication & pride. Even Jesus is so-called merely a Rabbi, then "upgraded" to merely a prophet, before being stripped of even those names. Sadness, fear, anger, hatred. Remember the Lord's words to Cain, "Sin is crouching at your door." (Gen 4:7) Crouching to devour you.

Dark horrors want to eat you, in part or whole. They want you to feed on. Sin is empty, and forever hungry.

Joyous Light of heavenly glory shines and destroys darkness. While sin wants to eat you, God wants to feed you. He invades the darkness and sets captives free. Free to eat goodness and be alive, and to never be thirsty again. …to see all the good the Father blesses you which the elder son may not see.

The return of the older son is left open--does he return? Or doesn't he? That's far from Jesus' point. The point is God is calling all sons through the Son. We can't be perfect. And without excuses, God brings us home. If our coming to God is left as a matter of choice, the result is pride or guilt. The older son can no more "come to his senses" on his own than the younger brother did.

Where this story leaves off, is where we start today. Will we the children of our Father's house listen? That's the thing. Even when we listen to God, we don't heed his plea. We'd rather work the fields than go inside his house. But the Father goes out every time to every son. "All I have is yours."

Getting back something that you lost is one thing. Getting something you never had is another."All I have is yours." That is the family I'd boldly profess the words "Our Father."

We started with a cliché premise: a family in a remote place is blind-sided. That tragedy launches us into a mesmerizing supernatural tale of anger and haunted lives. Some preachers forbid you to look at the darkness of reality, or even see scary movies. If you do, watch it with the lights on and (more importantly) with THE Light.

Hollywood misquotes scripture. Scripture points to Holy wood. Despite man's horrible sins, God trades our Silent Hills for silent nights, where fear is driven out by Love incarnate.

Healing comes from hearing His loving Word. The Word is that Judge, Jesus who took our judgment on Himself. Thank you Lord Jesus for such a light that no eye can be blind to. Amen.

[blessing]
May the healing Word Christ Jesus himself dwell richly in your hearts and minds, onto life everlasting. Amen.

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