Man, Prophet, Lord

John 9: 1-41

March 6, 2005

Man, Prophet, Lord

We might have wished that the reading from John this morning were a little shorter. Forty-one verses is a bit long to stand for. But there are so many things tied together in this chapter of John that we would miss the connections if we cut it in pieces and spread it over several Sundays. One thing we would miss is the way the blind man's understanding of just who Jesus is grows as the events unfold. His faith journey invites us to reflect on our own.

This man's faith journey begins after his blindness is healed. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" And he answered, "The man Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me 'Go to Siloam and wash.'" Who is Jesus? He is a man.

The narrative continues. "Then 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.' Some 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. So 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.'"(John 9:15-17) Now, upon reflection, the man thinks Jesus is more than just a man, more than the average Joe on the street. Jesus is a prophet.

Finally, Jesus himself confronts the man. "Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.' Jesus said to him, 'You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.' He said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped him." (John 9:35-38)

The man's spiritual journey was quick, but it ended where every spiritual journey should. For this former blind man Jesus was first, just a man, and second, a prophet, but finally he confessed him to be Lord, and he worshiped Jesus.

We all begin life with the same illness, a sickness we have suffered since birth... sin. We are then washed in the waters, not of the pool of Siloam, but in the font of baptism, which both delivers us from the power and consequences of sin and begins our spiritual journey. The end of our personal spiritual journeys, the answer we finally give to the question "Who is Jesus?" will determine how we relate to Jesus and ultimately how we live our life. Is Jesus just a man? Is he a prophet? Or is he indeed Lord?

If Jesus is just a man, then we only owe him respect. The dictionary defines respect as giving honor or esteem to someone or something. For example, we are called on to show respect for the office of the President of the U.S. But I've also heard the term used to mean "to treat as an equal". Murphy Brown's favorite singer Aretha Franklin sings the song called R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Margaret "Hot Lips" Hoolihan, the head nurse in the T.V. series M.A.S.H. demanded simple respect from Drs. Hawkeye and B.J. In both cases it is a woman demanding to be treated by men as an equal.

If Jesus is only a man, that is all we owe him, respect. At the least this means treating him as an equal, and at best, to give him honor and esteem. In either case, confronted by Jesus' word, our only obligation is to listen, to pay attention. We, then, are free to disagree or debate his word, just as we can respectfully disagree or debate the policies put forth by the President of the United States. Respect demands only our attention.

But if our spiritual journey takes one step up, and professes that this Jesus is a prophet, then we owe him more than our attention; we owe him our obedience. The primary function of a prophet in the Old Testament was not, as many suppose, to tell the future, although they did often point to future consequences if the people continued in their sinful ways. The prophet was more a forth-teller than a foreteller. The prophet spoke God's word. Sometimes it was a word of warning, sometimes of judgment, and sometimes of comfort and hope. Whatever word the prophet spoke, it required a response. Judgment required repentance. Warning required obedience. Hope and comfort demanded thanksgiving.

If we profess Jesus to be a prophet, then we need not only listen to him but we need also to obey him. If, as a prophet Je speaks for God, then we are not free to disagree or debate. We are obligated to obey.

But if our spiritual journey takes us that final step, and we confess, with the man born blind whom Jesus healed, that Jesus is Lord, then Jesus deserves more than our attention, more even than our obedience. Jesus deserves our worship. Jesus went and found the blind man whom he healed and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said," Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.

Worship is more than respect, more than just attending to, or even giving honor or esteem to, because, in truth, all human beings, being created by God in God's image, deserve respect.

Worship, too, is more than obedience, more than doing what we are commanded to do, for even policeman and other governing authorities who speak for the rule of law, should be obeyed. Paul writes in Romans 13:1; "Let every person be subject to (i.e. obey) the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God." These earthly authorities can demand our obedience, but not our worship.

Worship is more than respect and more than obedience; worship is what we center our lives on and around. We worship what is most important to us. If we truly worship Jesus, it is not in response to some outward pressure that says we should worship. That is just obedience. Worship is the natural extension of what is most important. The blind man didn’t worship Jesus because Jesus commanded him to; worship came as a natural consequence of the realization of who Jesus was and his own response, “Lord, I believe.”

If money and power are most important to a person, you won't have to cajole him into working. He will work because he wants to work and enjoy the money and power that comes as a result. If golf is the most important thing to a person, you won't have to twist his arm or argue him into playing golf. He will play golf at every chance because he enjoys it.

So it is with love of Christ and worship. It has been said that everyone's true worship is that which he finds in use in the place where he chances to be. If Jesus is at the center of a life, that person will not have to be reminded to pray; he will pray in order to be close to what is most important to him. If Jesus is the center of a person's life, he will not have to be argued into gathering with fellow believers to hear God's word and return praise and thanksgiving; that person will long for that gathering and hunger for that spiritual food. If Jesus is the Lord of a person's life, he will not need commandments, laws, and ordinances to know God's will and obey it; Jesus will so rule that heart that a God-pleasing life will naturally result. Life will not consist of obedience in response to an outward pressure, but a God-pleasing life that is an expression of an inner love.

It is not hard to do a quick self-inventory and judge by or actions and motives who we believe Jesus is. We might say Jesus is Lord, but we know deep down that he does not have sole occupancy at the center of our lives. Our actions and motives do not always bear witness to the Lord as center of our lives; they betray where are true loyalties are divided. And so we pray for an every deepening faith and a life that reflects it. We pray for a heart that confesses Jesus as Lord, and a life that proclaims Jesus as Lord.

May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.