Miracles Of Sight
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Miracles of Sight" by Keith Wagner
"Trusting God in the Darkness" by Keith Wagner
* * * * * * *
Miracles of Sight
by Keith Wagner
John 9:1-41
Most people see the healing of the blind man as a miracle. Jesus made a mud pack, put it in the blind man's eyes, and then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. Amazingly he was then able to see. Miracles happened then and miracles happen today. When someone's cancer goes into remission, the remission is a miracle. When someone walks away from a tragic accident, they have experienced a miracle. Miracles occur in a variety of ways. Thank God for miracles, life-changing events that restore lives to wholeness.
Helen Keller suffered a severe illness that deprived her of her sight and hearing when she was only nineteen months of age. She was unable to learn, and as a result of her illness, she was unable to speak. She was nurtured by a loving family but they pampered her too much and consequently Helen became totally helpless. She remained in her state of darkness until her lifelong teacher and friend, Annie Sullivan, worked a miracle in her life. Sullivan took her to a water pump and as the water ran over Helen's hands, she was able to sign the word water. At that point Helen Keller was able to see.
Just as the blind man was able to see after washing in the pool of Siloam, Helen Keller was able to see by making the connection by feeling the water. Keller said, "The touch of water called my soul to life, because Annie Sullivan brought me into the light."
There is however a lot more going on here than just miracles. What John wants for us is to have our own vision restored. He does that by presenting this story with several other characters, each of whom suffers from spiritual blindness.
The disciples suffered from the blindness of theological ineptness. It was their understanding that the man was blind because of his sins. Jesus negated that belief when he said, "neither this man, nor his parents sinned."
We humans have a tendency to make judgments about people who are sick, physically challenged, or abnormal. We wonder what they did that has resulted in some imperfection. Or we say their problems are a result of the dysfunctional family they came from. "No wonder the guy has a drinking problem, his father was a drunk." "You'd have a temper too if your family was Irish." Or "What do you expect from a person who lives on the other side of the tracks?" The list goes on and on.
The neighbors in the story were blinded by denial. "Wasn't this guy the beggar?" "No, can't be him, he was a blind man." He told his neighbors that he was indeed the beggar, but they did not believe him.
Denial is a form of blindness when we are not willing to see what is real. Denial is essentially disbelief. In psychology denial is a defense mechanism. It enables folks to resist change. It is a coping tool that people use to reject the truth, either about themselves or someone else.
The Pharisees suffered from the blindness of righteous indignation. How dare Jesus break the rules and heal someone on the Sabbath. "How can a man (meaning Jesus) who is a sinner perform such signs?" They did not appreciate the fact that Jesus violated one of their Jewish laws. Unfortunately, there are times when rules prevent us from reaching out to others or denying us the opportunity of being agents of God's grace. We become rigid instead of flexible and closed instead of open.
The blind man's parents suffered from the blindness of selfishness. They didn't want to lose their seats in the synagogue. "They were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue." Rather than believe their own son, they chose to distance themselves from him in order to save themselves.
In other words, the blind man was surrounded by a community who suffered from some form of spiritual blindness. Sadly, no one acknowledged that a miracle had taken place. No one rejoiced or praised God for the man's ability to see. No one asked him what it felt like to be able to see his family for the first time. Instead of being excited that God had intervened and helped a man to see, they all rejected him.
The blind man had to undergo some embarrassing moments to be healed. He had to walk about 500 yards from the temple to the pool of Siloam. During that walk he had mud plastered in his eyes. Imagine the name calling and embarrassment he most likely endured. When he returned he had to face neighbors who disputed his identity. His own parents wouldn't support him. And finally he was driven out of town by the religious authorities, all because "now he could see."
When I was a child my parents noticed I had a vision problem. I was diagnosed with lazy eye. The muscle in my right eye was weak. For almost a year I had to wear a patch on my left eye in order to strengthen the right eye. It was embarrassing. Kids at school made fun of me. I was always bumping into things. Finally, the patch treatments ended and I had to wear glasses to compensate for my farsightedness. Fortunately the lens kept my weak eye straight. You wouldn't know that I had lazy eye unless I removed my glasses. Wearing glasses wasn't easy at such an early age. All through my elementary school years I experienced name calling and harassment because I had to wear glasses.
I couldn't have gotten through that difficult early period in my life without the support of my parents and my older brother. They never made me feel inferior. With their nurture and acceptance I could see. For me that was a miracle. The blind man had Jesus. Helen Keller had Annie Sullivan and fortunately, and I had my family.
Trusting God in the Darkness
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 23
The psalmist said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me." God is portrayed as a shepherd who takes care of us and God promises to supply all of our needs. The author of Psalm 23 was speaking to a people who were in exile. They were wandering, unsure of their course and destination. What they needed was hope and reassurance. Only their trust in God would enable them to survive.
"Thou art with me," the psalm reminds us. God the great shepherd is watching over all the flock. God, the great shepherd, is with us. We are never alone.
One night at a circus the tent was packed with thousands of people. It was time for the tiger trainer to come out and perform. He bowed to the audience then went inside the cage. A hush drifted over the audience as the door was locked behind him. The trainer skillfully put the tigers through their paces. Suddenly there was a huge pop, followed by a complete blackout of power. For several long minutes the trainer was trapped in the cage with the tigers in total darkness. The trainer knew the tigers could see him with their powerful vision, but he could not see them. All he had was a whip and small chair as a means of protection.
Finally, the lights came back on, and the trainer finished his performance. Everyone was amazed that he wasn't attacked as they feared for him in the darkness. After his performance the trainer was interviewed by a local television reporter. He admitted how scared he was. But during the blackout he realized that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He just kept cracking his whip and talked to them until the lights came back on.
There are times when all of us are confronted with tigers in the dark. Sometimes we are taken advantage of and sometimes we get sick. Sometimes we find ourselves in a crisis not of our own making. Sometimes we are wounded or hurt from things beyond our control. It's hard to trust God when our lives are knocked off balance or we experience a hardship we don't deserve.
Like the trainer in the cage with no power, we live in darkness afraid that we will be attacked, hurt, rejected, abused, or taken advantage of. Just as the trainer had to trust that he could survive the darkness while caged with the tigers, God wants us to trust him, especially when we are overcome with darkness and fear.
God is like a shepherd who protects his sheep my moving his sheep to higher ground. But the way to higher ground is through the valleys. The valley of the shadow of death is south of Jericho which leads from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. The valley is four and a half miles long. The walls are over 1,500 feet high. Traveling through the valley is dangerous since in some places there are deep and narrow gullies.
The shepherd forces the sheep to leap over the gullies with his staff. In the valley there are floods, rock slides, poisonous plants, and predators. Also many wild dogs lurk in the shadows looking for prey. The shepherd uses his rod to knock out the dogs into the gully where the sheep are easily killed. The shepherds move slowly with their flock through rushing rivers and wild mountains. During this time the flock is entirely alone with the shepherd thereby dependent on him for all their needs. Thus the sheep have learned to "fear no evil."
David, the psalmist, knew this firsthand. When Samuel was sent to anoint him as king of Israel, David was not home on the ranch. Instead he was high in the hills with the sheep. David knew from experience about all the difficulties and dangers of the high country. Nothing took him by surprise as he was totally prepared to care for his sheep.
In 1986, when I traveled to Israel I had the opportunity to visit Masada, a mountain stronghold on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It was the scene of the last stand of Jewish insurgents in the revolt of 66 AD. A band of fanatical revolutionaries took it over from the Romans under the reign of Herod. It was taken back by the Romans in 73. It is significant since it became the last stronghold for the Jewish people. While residing there the community was totally self-sufficient and the occupants believed they were totally secure. This however, was not the case since it changed hands twice.
Masada reminds us that even the strongest and most secure fortress is not immune from the enemy. Although I visited Masada and thoroughly enjoyed the view from the top, I wish I had made the ascent differently. There were two ways to ascend to the top; by hiking the long, narrow path, or taking a cable car. I chose the cable car. It was much easier and much quicker. After returning to the bottom of the mountain a friend was telling me how exciting the hike was. He and some others had completed the hike together and it seemed to draw them closer to one another. He said that it also put him in touch with the daily journeys of the shepherds. After hearing about his journey, I felt left out.
The way to higher ground is through the valleys. Most of us would like to ignore the valleys and twisted paths of life. We would rather leap from mountaintop to mountaintop. However, it is along the valleys that the "green pastures" and "still waters" are discovered. Even while predators lurk in the rocks above and storms can turn the valleys into to raging rivers they are the only place where the essential elements of food and water can be found. The great shepherd knows that we can find strength and sustenance despite the threat of evil. God, the great shepherd, is with us. God can be trusted and will lead those who remain in his flock to higher ground. With God as our shepherd, we are never alone in the darkness.
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 30, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Miracles of Sight" by Keith Wagner
"Trusting God in the Darkness" by Keith Wagner
* * * * * * *
Miracles of Sight
by Keith Wagner
John 9:1-41
Most people see the healing of the blind man as a miracle. Jesus made a mud pack, put it in the blind man's eyes, and then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. Amazingly he was then able to see. Miracles happened then and miracles happen today. When someone's cancer goes into remission, the remission is a miracle. When someone walks away from a tragic accident, they have experienced a miracle. Miracles occur in a variety of ways. Thank God for miracles, life-changing events that restore lives to wholeness.
Helen Keller suffered a severe illness that deprived her of her sight and hearing when she was only nineteen months of age. She was unable to learn, and as a result of her illness, she was unable to speak. She was nurtured by a loving family but they pampered her too much and consequently Helen became totally helpless. She remained in her state of darkness until her lifelong teacher and friend, Annie Sullivan, worked a miracle in her life. Sullivan took her to a water pump and as the water ran over Helen's hands, she was able to sign the word water. At that point Helen Keller was able to see.
Just as the blind man was able to see after washing in the pool of Siloam, Helen Keller was able to see by making the connection by feeling the water. Keller said, "The touch of water called my soul to life, because Annie Sullivan brought me into the light."
There is however a lot more going on here than just miracles. What John wants for us is to have our own vision restored. He does that by presenting this story with several other characters, each of whom suffers from spiritual blindness.
The disciples suffered from the blindness of theological ineptness. It was their understanding that the man was blind because of his sins. Jesus negated that belief when he said, "neither this man, nor his parents sinned."
We humans have a tendency to make judgments about people who are sick, physically challenged, or abnormal. We wonder what they did that has resulted in some imperfection. Or we say their problems are a result of the dysfunctional family they came from. "No wonder the guy has a drinking problem, his father was a drunk." "You'd have a temper too if your family was Irish." Or "What do you expect from a person who lives on the other side of the tracks?" The list goes on and on.
The neighbors in the story were blinded by denial. "Wasn't this guy the beggar?" "No, can't be him, he was a blind man." He told his neighbors that he was indeed the beggar, but they did not believe him.
Denial is a form of blindness when we are not willing to see what is real. Denial is essentially disbelief. In psychology denial is a defense mechanism. It enables folks to resist change. It is a coping tool that people use to reject the truth, either about themselves or someone else.
The Pharisees suffered from the blindness of righteous indignation. How dare Jesus break the rules and heal someone on the Sabbath. "How can a man (meaning Jesus) who is a sinner perform such signs?" They did not appreciate the fact that Jesus violated one of their Jewish laws. Unfortunately, there are times when rules prevent us from reaching out to others or denying us the opportunity of being agents of God's grace. We become rigid instead of flexible and closed instead of open.
The blind man's parents suffered from the blindness of selfishness. They didn't want to lose their seats in the synagogue. "They were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue." Rather than believe their own son, they chose to distance themselves from him in order to save themselves.
In other words, the blind man was surrounded by a community who suffered from some form of spiritual blindness. Sadly, no one acknowledged that a miracle had taken place. No one rejoiced or praised God for the man's ability to see. No one asked him what it felt like to be able to see his family for the first time. Instead of being excited that God had intervened and helped a man to see, they all rejected him.
The blind man had to undergo some embarrassing moments to be healed. He had to walk about 500 yards from the temple to the pool of Siloam. During that walk he had mud plastered in his eyes. Imagine the name calling and embarrassment he most likely endured. When he returned he had to face neighbors who disputed his identity. His own parents wouldn't support him. And finally he was driven out of town by the religious authorities, all because "now he could see."
When I was a child my parents noticed I had a vision problem. I was diagnosed with lazy eye. The muscle in my right eye was weak. For almost a year I had to wear a patch on my left eye in order to strengthen the right eye. It was embarrassing. Kids at school made fun of me. I was always bumping into things. Finally, the patch treatments ended and I had to wear glasses to compensate for my farsightedness. Fortunately the lens kept my weak eye straight. You wouldn't know that I had lazy eye unless I removed my glasses. Wearing glasses wasn't easy at such an early age. All through my elementary school years I experienced name calling and harassment because I had to wear glasses.
I couldn't have gotten through that difficult early period in my life without the support of my parents and my older brother. They never made me feel inferior. With their nurture and acceptance I could see. For me that was a miracle. The blind man had Jesus. Helen Keller had Annie Sullivan and fortunately, and I had my family.
Trusting God in the Darkness
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 23
The psalmist said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me." God is portrayed as a shepherd who takes care of us and God promises to supply all of our needs. The author of Psalm 23 was speaking to a people who were in exile. They were wandering, unsure of their course and destination. What they needed was hope and reassurance. Only their trust in God would enable them to survive.
"Thou art with me," the psalm reminds us. God the great shepherd is watching over all the flock. God, the great shepherd, is with us. We are never alone.
One night at a circus the tent was packed with thousands of people. It was time for the tiger trainer to come out and perform. He bowed to the audience then went inside the cage. A hush drifted over the audience as the door was locked behind him. The trainer skillfully put the tigers through their paces. Suddenly there was a huge pop, followed by a complete blackout of power. For several long minutes the trainer was trapped in the cage with the tigers in total darkness. The trainer knew the tigers could see him with their powerful vision, but he could not see them. All he had was a whip and small chair as a means of protection.
Finally, the lights came back on, and the trainer finished his performance. Everyone was amazed that he wasn't attacked as they feared for him in the darkness. After his performance the trainer was interviewed by a local television reporter. He admitted how scared he was. But during the blackout he realized that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He just kept cracking his whip and talked to them until the lights came back on.
There are times when all of us are confronted with tigers in the dark. Sometimes we are taken advantage of and sometimes we get sick. Sometimes we find ourselves in a crisis not of our own making. Sometimes we are wounded or hurt from things beyond our control. It's hard to trust God when our lives are knocked off balance or we experience a hardship we don't deserve.
Like the trainer in the cage with no power, we live in darkness afraid that we will be attacked, hurt, rejected, abused, or taken advantage of. Just as the trainer had to trust that he could survive the darkness while caged with the tigers, God wants us to trust him, especially when we are overcome with darkness and fear.
God is like a shepherd who protects his sheep my moving his sheep to higher ground. But the way to higher ground is through the valleys. The valley of the shadow of death is south of Jericho which leads from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. The valley is four and a half miles long. The walls are over 1,500 feet high. Traveling through the valley is dangerous since in some places there are deep and narrow gullies.
The shepherd forces the sheep to leap over the gullies with his staff. In the valley there are floods, rock slides, poisonous plants, and predators. Also many wild dogs lurk in the shadows looking for prey. The shepherd uses his rod to knock out the dogs into the gully where the sheep are easily killed. The shepherds move slowly with their flock through rushing rivers and wild mountains. During this time the flock is entirely alone with the shepherd thereby dependent on him for all their needs. Thus the sheep have learned to "fear no evil."
David, the psalmist, knew this firsthand. When Samuel was sent to anoint him as king of Israel, David was not home on the ranch. Instead he was high in the hills with the sheep. David knew from experience about all the difficulties and dangers of the high country. Nothing took him by surprise as he was totally prepared to care for his sheep.
In 1986, when I traveled to Israel I had the opportunity to visit Masada, a mountain stronghold on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It was the scene of the last stand of Jewish insurgents in the revolt of 66 AD. A band of fanatical revolutionaries took it over from the Romans under the reign of Herod. It was taken back by the Romans in 73. It is significant since it became the last stronghold for the Jewish people. While residing there the community was totally self-sufficient and the occupants believed they were totally secure. This however, was not the case since it changed hands twice.
Masada reminds us that even the strongest and most secure fortress is not immune from the enemy. Although I visited Masada and thoroughly enjoyed the view from the top, I wish I had made the ascent differently. There were two ways to ascend to the top; by hiking the long, narrow path, or taking a cable car. I chose the cable car. It was much easier and much quicker. After returning to the bottom of the mountain a friend was telling me how exciting the hike was. He and some others had completed the hike together and it seemed to draw them closer to one another. He said that it also put him in touch with the daily journeys of the shepherds. After hearing about his journey, I felt left out.
The way to higher ground is through the valleys. Most of us would like to ignore the valleys and twisted paths of life. We would rather leap from mountaintop to mountaintop. However, it is along the valleys that the "green pastures" and "still waters" are discovered. Even while predators lurk in the rocks above and storms can turn the valleys into to raging rivers they are the only place where the essential elements of food and water can be found. The great shepherd knows that we can find strength and sustenance despite the threat of evil. God, the great shepherd, is with us. God can be trusted and will lead those who remain in his flock to higher ground. With God as our shepherd, we are never alone in the darkness.
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 30, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
