A New Perspective
John 9:1-12
Children have a special way
to look at things. Their logic is very interesting.
Here are some examples:
-If mom and dad have just had
an argument, do not allow mom to comb your hair.
-Do not give a sack of eggs
or ripe tomatoes to your three-year-old brother.
-Do not sneeze while having a
haircut.
-I don’t
understand why they encourage us to eat fruits and discourage us from eating chocolate.
I hear chocolate is made from cocoa growing on trees.
Children see things differently. I
remember when our son Azad he was two or three, he used to place car keys and
other things in the lower parts of the house. Then one day I
came on my knees and I started watching his world. It was different. He was
seeing things from a different perspective.
Today is the fourth Sunday of
Lent. This morning I am continuing my journey with Jesus to
Jesus healed this man.
Everyone was astonished. Yet instead of rejoicing with him, they were
questioning the situation. “Who is this man? Is this the man we know?” Apparently,
even his parents had some doubts.
Seeing things from a different
perspective:
Did you realize that even the
disciples saw things differently? Jesus saw a man who was
created in the image of God and who needed healing. The disciples saw a
sinner who was blind because of someone’s fault. This does not mean Jesus does
not realize the reality of sin in the man. We all are sinners. We all need to
repent. Yet, the way Jesus looks at things is different. Instead of condemning
the man, he touches this man’s life. The man is changed and is
transformed into a believer.
How is your sight this
morning?
It's difficult to measure how well a newborn
can see, but it's estimated that a newborn's vision is quite blurry
until about 6 months of age. Babies
gradually grow into getting a clearer vision of things.
We grown-ups need a better
sight. Our spiritual eyes need God’s touch. Jesus touched this man. Likewise, we
need a new sight. Look at newborn babies. They can not do anything by
themselves. We come to this world crying, “Feed me, clothe me, protect me,
clean me, me and me and me.” We grow up and still “me” is a priority.
Look at this story. The blind
man can see. But his eyesight was “growing” into
spiritual maturity. His answers about the person who healed him did change
gradually. These are the statements he made about
Jesus:
“The
man they call Jesus” (11)
“He
is a prophet.” (17)
“Lord,
I believe, and he worshiped him.” (38)
Through this miracle, two
parties gained a new perspective of things: the disciples and the
blind man. The disciples saw the
man differently while the man saw Jesus differently.
Once a family was in a restaurant
and the mother asked her little boy to say the grace before the food. He prayed,
“Lord thank you for the food. Please remember the needy and do not forget our
ice cream after lunch. Amen.”
He was praying loudly, and
almost everyone in the small restaurant heard him. One woman complained loudly,
“These days children don’t know how to pray.”
This little boy started to
cry. He asked his parents if he had prayed the wrong prayer. They told him that
God listens to all our prayers. Another man approached the table and said, “I
know God. He will not mind this prayer. A little bit of ice cream is good for
you.”
After lunch, his mother ordered
ice cream. This little boy was happy. He took his bowl of ice cream, and went
to the lady who complained and said, “Here, someone
told me that a little bit of ice cream is good for you. I feel good. I want to give you my ice cream. I think you too will feel
good.”
A different perspective: I hope we allow Jesus to
touch us. I hope we can be brave enough to confess our
sins to him. I hope we can learn to pray sincerely.
Why not? Allow Jesus to touch you this morning. Examine yourself
if you are rooted in him so you can bear his fruits. Look around you with a new
perspective. There are needs, and you are the one who can make a difference in
someone’s life.
Have a GODLY PERSPECTIVE.