See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me

Jesus WhoClick here to listen to the sermon: 

Michelle stopped me in the hallway following Sunday morning worship. Massaging her temples through a grimaced face said enough, though she whimpered a whisper— “Rev Rawle, I’ve been having migraines. The medicine isn’t helping. Nothing is working. Can you pray for me?” Now in seminary we were taught that “Take up your mat and walk” is a dangerous prayer to utter. It is risky, and unashamedly bold, but I thought, “What the Hell.” I held her face in my hands and I prayed, “May the Holy Spirit heal you of these debilitating migraines. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Almost immediately her face unfolded, as it were. One eye opened, and then the next. Her jaw, which had been clinched for longer than she could remember, slacked, and she said, “What did you do?” Her pain was gone. We both parted ways knowing that something very special had happened. Two weeks later I went to visit Mrs. Williams in the hospital. She had fallen and had hip surgery. After spending a few minutes with her I boldly and confidently prayed, “Mrs. Williams, I pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you so that you will get out of bed and walk down the church aisle once again to your pew.” Later that afternoon I received a phone call from the hospital that Mrs. Williams had passed away.

healingJesus’ healings in the Gospel story can be complicated. He hears that Lazarus is near death, but instead of running to Bethany, Jesus waits two days. A lame man is carried by four friends and Jesus says to him, “Your sins are forgiven,” to which the Pharisees reply, “Only God can forgive sin.” Defiantly, Jesus answers, “Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Take up your mat and walk?’” So the man took up his mat and walked away. A woman touches his cloak and Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well,” and sometimes Jesus’ healings seem to have nothing to do with the faith of the sick. Conceivably there are some whom Jesus either couldn’t or wouldn’t or simply didn’t heal. Maybe it’s the case that healing is something more than the body can show.

1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’

falseWhat does healing accomplish? First, Jesus’ healing destroys false assumptions. They ask whose sin caused the man’s blindness, and Jesus replies, “No ones.” Sometimes illness carries an undeserved stigma, that illness is a consequence of divine discontent and disfavor, or that sleeping in the bed one has made is the best medicine. This doesn’t mean that God is uncaring or to each his own or telling kids “Don’t smoke” is a bad thing; however I am not convinced that guilt and shame ever bring healing.

6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ 10But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ 11He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ 12They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ The Pharisees Investigate the Healing 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ 16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’ 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight.

Secondly, Jesus’ healing restores dignity and identity. Notice how the blind man’s identity is beginning to change. In verse 13 the man is “the man formerly been blind.” Now in verse 18 he is “the man who had received his sight.” Yes, Jesus healed his eyes, but he is also healing the eyes of those around the man. But here is an interesting thing. Throughout this story the man who regains his sight begins to grow in his understanding of Christ, while the Pharisees become increasingly blind. In a way this is the fulfillment of Isaiah 40, which reads that every valley will be lifted up and every mountain made low. Those who have been oppressed are being filled with a deep and abiding presence and understanding of Christ while the oppressors are becoming increasingly more shallow and blind.

19and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ 20His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’ 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ 25He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ 26They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ 30The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ 34They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.

God with usThe third thing Jesus’ healing accomplishes is the absolving of fear. Keep in mind that anyone claiming Jesus is the messiah will be put out of the synagogue. Nevertheless this man stands up to the Pharisees and questions them about their faith—“Here is an astonishing thing.” The man’s eyes have been filled with truth, and when truth grabs a hold of you, fear has not place from which to hang. I’m jumping the gun here a bit, but when our story ends in life, and not death, there is nothing to fear.

35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. 39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ 41Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.

Lastly Jesus heals our faith, Jesus mends our trust in the promise of God. Healing is not making God out to be a vending machine, where God becomes our servant and we will worship only if we like the outcome. A relationship with Christ destroys our false assumptions, restores our dignity and identity, dissolves our fear, and fills us with abundant life. It is true that one day our bodies will fail. God’s promise was never to keep us from suffering or death, but dare I say that what God offers is more important. I’m not sure what the Who intended, but the ending of “Go to the Mirror,” speaks volumes to me about our relationship with Christ . . .

Listening to you, I get the music Gazing at you, I get the heat

Following you, I climb the mountain I get excitement at your feet

Right behind you, I see the millions On you, I see the glory

From you, I get the opinions From you, I get the story

May you be filled with the story of truth and abundant life.   Amen.