The Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A, 2011

John 9:1-41

The Rev. Ronald N. Johnson

We read this morning, in Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, that once we were in darkness but now we are in light. Saint Paul, of course, refers to Jesus who is the light, and through whose grace we can live in God’s light.  The Gospel this morning tells us about the light of Christ. The story enables us to understand that Jesus brings spiritual enlightenment to those with faith. Through faith, the grace of the living God enlightens us and equips us to stand firm against the prince of darkness.  In Christ, all things that are good and that accord with God’s will are possible to us.  Coming to a faith that understands and believes this very much resembles having the scales of blindness removed from our eyes.  We see life in a new way.  Old things, old ideas and convictions that were unworthy stand revealed as unworthy.  The light of Christ shows the path to spiritual and personal growth and it is a path that we are eager to explore.  It is a safe path, for we know that in all the things we seek in Christ His Holy Spirit is with us. He guides us.  He is our shield and our protector.  He is our armor, our breastplate.

In the Gospel story this morning, Jesus came upon a man who had been born blind.  In his compassion, our Lord called the man to him and restored his sight.  This is a story rich in symbolism.  What is most important for us to understand is the message that Christ is the light of the world.  As this man’s eyes were opened, so also Christ opens the spiritual eyes of those who come to him in faith.  In the words of John Newton, the eighteenth century Anglican priest and author of the great hymn Amazing Grace, we who were once blind because we were without faith, now see, because faith has restored our spiritual sight.

How do we come to faith?  Faith is not something that we attain.  Rather, faith comes to us as God’s greatest gift.  God loves us first and we respond to his love. This is a hard thing to grasp, to realize that we do not have to earn God’s grace, nor can we earn it. But, when we experience God’s love, it is natural that we respond in trust and love for him.  In the Book of Revelation, John tells us that Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks.  Jesus wants to dwell within us, through His Holy Spirit, and bring us to ever increasing faith.  John says that Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  Those are powerful words.  Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts and prays to His Father that we will open ourselves to him.  There is no force.  He does not attempt to overcome us.  He knocks, he prays and he waits.

Many of us are not much given to talking about conversion experiences.  To the evangelical’s question, “Brother, are you saved?” we are prone to respond, “I was saved, I am being saved and I shall be saved.”  We acknowledge that salvation is a life-long process that begins with baptism and ends only with God receiving us with His open arms in Heaven.  But, I think that for all of us, there is a moment when we realize that we are dependent on God and that without God we are very much alone.

That awareness, my brothers and sisters, is the threshold for faith.  When we realize our dependence on God, we are able to open ourselves to him, we let the defenses down and we ask him to come into our hearts.  The evangelicals call this surrendering to Jesus.  That’s what it is.  We say, “Jesus come into my heart and dwell within me, that in all things I may be your disciple and an instrument of your peace.” 

Jesus comes into the hearts of those open to him and willing to accept him.  In those moments, faith is built, brick by brick, stone by stone.  And, as life progresses, and we have more and more experiences of the grace of God as “Jesus with us, “our faith grows even stronger.  We begin to understand the truth to Saint Paul’s claim that in Christ, all things are possible. 

This day and every day present moments and experiences that become for us opportunities to grow in faith.  We should pray that with all that is in us we will be open to them. Amen.