HEALING THE BLIND MAN

SUNDAY APRIL 29, 2012

THEME:                JESUS' POWERFUL WORDS

TOPIC:                 HEALING THE BLIND MAN

TEXT:                   JOHN 9:1-17

MEMORY VERSE: “Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.” — John 9:16 (NIV)

LESSON AIMS: After participating in this lesson, each student will be able to:

1.   Retrace the sequence of events of the healing of the blind man and its aftermath.             

2.   Explain the significance of the healing of the blind man both in its literal reality and as a metaphor for Jesus’ opening spiritually blind eyes.

3.   Write a prayer that asks God’s help in identifying and overcoming an area of spiritual blindness.

INTRODUCTION

When we need an explanation for something, we may fall back on familiar sayings as a kind of self-defence mechanism. “Seeing is believing” is a good example. But have you noticed how some common phrases seem to contradict each other? As soon as we say “Seeing is believing,” someone can respond “I can’t believe my eyes!”

The truth is that we do generally believe what we see, but only when it fits what we expect. Neuroscientists tell us that our brains interpret signals from the eyes according to our previous experiences and established beliefs. So if we see a dark liquid in a mug, we interpret it as coffee, not motor oil. If we see a large object in our rear-view mirror, we interpret it as a truck, not a jetliner.

So when we witness something truly unusual, something outside our previous experience, we may have trouble believing our eyes. We may try to find some other explanation for what we have seen. In effect, we may trust what we have experienced in the past more than what we see in the present in an exceptional situation.

Today’s passage is about such an instance. In it Jesus does something that is contrary to everyone’s prior experience. Some could not believe their eyes as a result. Ultimately, Jesus proved something about those who can truly see (perceive) and those who refuse to do so.

[Please note that you are free to reproduce this lesson for your Sunday school classes. The talk points (in red prints) are to help your discussions.]

A.    JESUS’ ENCOUNTER WITH THE MAN BORN BLIND – John 9:1-5

1.  How should we respond to new parents who feel guilty about (or are blaming God for) their baby’s birth defect? (Defect due to parental sin (example: foetal alcohol syndrome); Defect as a result of someone else’s actions or inactions (example: negligent medical care); No identifiable or avoidable cause of the defect.)

2. When was a time you saw God was glorified through difficult circumstances? (A death; An illness; A financial setback; A natural disaster.)

3.   What does Jesus’ imperative say about how the church should prioritize her ministries, if anything? (In addressing physical needs such as hunger; In being the conscience of the community; In responding to those with disabilities.)

B.    THE HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND – John 9:6-9

1.  How can your church better minister to people with disabilities? (To those with hearing challenges; To those with vision challenges; To those with mental or developmental challenges; To those with mobility challenges.)

C.     THE PHARISEES INVESTIGATED THE HEALING – John 9:10-17

1.  How do we ensure that church “policies and procedures” result in doing good, and do not end up being burdensome, counterproductive traditions? (In ministries to believers; In ministries to unbelievers; In how church finances are handled.)

CONCLUSION

On the first day of creation, God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3); after six days of creation, God rested (2:2). Jesus declared himself to be the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). He brought light to a blind man on the day of the week that celebrated the completion of God’s creation. Israel had received the Sabbath as a celebration of liberation from bondage (Deuteronomy 5:15), and on the Sabbath Jesus liberated a man who had been bound with blindness. This healing was one of Jesus’ signs that pointed to his greater work. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus was demonstrating that he was bringing a new beginning to God’s creation and fulfilling the Sabbath’s promise of rest.

Like the man who had been blind, we will meet opposition as Jesus’ followers. But as his followers, we have the high calling to carry out his work of bringing God’s light and God’s rest into a dark, burdened world.

PRAYER

O Lord, you have transformed our darkness into light and our burdens into rest. Guide us to live in your light, to rest in your promises, and to share them in your world. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Thought to Remember

Bring Jesus’ light and rest to the world.

NEXT WEEK: MAY 6, 2012: THE BREAD OF LIFE- John 6:22-35