PPic: Oberon Golf Course - Links Pro Am 2006

PGA Chaplain Bible Studies

Study 25 – September 3rd to 9th 2007.
Reading – John Chapter Ch9:24-41 .

Jesus said, “I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.” Some Pharisees who were there with him heard him say this and asked him, “Surely you don’t mean that we are blind too?” Jesus answered, “ If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are guilty.” John Chapter 9: verses 39 to 41 (CEV).

How to be blind when you can see?

I hate losing. I love the competition of sport and trying to do your best. When we win we are happy. What I admire more though is a gracious loser. Someone who is beaten by the better player and admits that the winner was better. When champions lose there is a temptation to ask what went wrong rather than speak of the merits of the winner. When you expect to win it is sometimes hard to lose.

Sport can be like life. Those who are successful and powerful are used to having things go their own way, winning in life, and when challenged find it hard to judge the merits of another objectively. They are seen more as a threat, an opponent like in sport.

Unfortunately, this is how Jesus and the Jewish leaders came to be; opponents. The religious leaders were the established leaders of their religious life; Jesus was the new boy on the block.
They clash when Jesus heals this man born blind, but can now see. Jesus claims to be the Son of God, the one through whom God’s new way of life has come. Jesus opening his eyes is in some ways a sign of the light he brings to the world. Rather than being a cause for celebration, these healing causes further tensions between Jesus and the leaders.

In short the religious leaders are unhappy with Jesus and seek to bring discredit to his life by finding fault with him.
Life is full of conflicts and disagreements between people. None of us can avoid this. What is important is whether our role in the conflict or disagreement has integrity. Whether we are sore losers or have a sober estimate of ourselves or whether we are willing to admit we could be wrong?

We know so much of Jesus and see his influence in the world for 2000 years. This would suggest that Jesus did in fact bring light into our dark world, that he has integrity and the leaders were jealous of his power and attraction..
What is so unusual in our reading today is how this nobody in their eyes who was healed would question the leaders motives and maybe even suggest they should change their view of Jesus? How dare such a thing happen!

Jesus says he came to judge and to reveal the light and expose the darkness. By this Jesus means that he is light and in him is no darkness at all. To live in our own light is to walk in darkness, but to live in the light of Christ is to see the new way of life God has for us.

This is not a matter of ethics, but of light. We can pass Jesus off as a fool, but then we are left to ourselves. Jesus invites us to see more, to see in him, a light that shines in the darkness.

To admit we don’t see everything clearly, that we walk in darkness, opens the door for the light to shine and for us to see. To claim we can see, leads us down a blind alley.

Prayer
Gracious God, Lead us in the ways of Christ, that we may not walk in darkness. Amen.

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