“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” What does light do in the world? On the one hand, it brightens up dark places like streetlights do as you walk around at night, it can produce heat, and it makes things shiny and beautiful. But light is also known for other things. It is these other effects of light that we might not always think about in conjunction with Jesus Christ.
If you are lost on a desert island and a spotlight was scanning the shore looking for survivors, you would jump up and down so that the light would fall upon you and you might be saved. On the other hand, if you were a criminal hiding from justice, if you saw a spotlight, you might hide behind the nearest trash can so that the light would not shine on you. Light is beautiful only if you do not want to be exposed. If you do not want others to see what you are doing or what you have done. “As long as I am in the world,” Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” That sounds great, but what if Jesus has come to the world only to expose you.
All of us have our sins. Some are big and some are little, but they all separate us from God and from each other. Some people are better at hiding their sins than others. Some of you, I am sure, are pretty pathetic at hiding your sins. For instance, maybe you get angry easily, you like to shout a lot and swear like a sailor. Everybody in town knows that you’ve got a short fuse and that probably just makes you even madder. You know what it feels like to live your life in the spotlight of others’ criticism. Jesus’ light shines on your sin and just reminds you of what you already knew . . . you are a sinner through and through.
Some of you are much better practiced at hiding yours sins. Very few people in your life may know about your really bad behavior. Maybe only your spouse or your children realize that you even have a problem. Because if anyone else knew, you would be seen in a very different light. There was a woman, I was told about, who was beaten by her husband throughout most of their marriage, only to spend her old age taking care of him because he was too weak do anything. They had both hidden the abuse to protect their marriage in the eyes of society. Now she was also hiding years of pent up anger as she gave her former abuser sponge baths each week. Jesus’ light shines on these sins and it is scary. It is easy to be scared that someone else might find out . . . you are a sinner and you want to keep it a secret.
Finally, there are sins that are so hidden, so deep that you try to forget about them yourself. Maybe it is a temptation that you wish you didn’t have, or a temptation that went too far once upon a time. Back in college maybe, or during the war, or way back when. Perhaps you believe that you don’t even have any sins, well at least nothing back enough to mention. When Jesus’ light shines upon you perhaps you wish you were blind. Or perhaps you pretend to be because it is easier to deal with that way. Jesus’ light exposes you. It offends you. It scares you.
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” These words are not only a promise, but they sound dangerous. They are not only a joy, they are a terror. To those of you who already realize you are stumbling around in the dark depths of your sin, it can feel like a relief. Jesus notices you! There is a glimmer of hope! A light full of promise that destroys the despair of a tortured soul. To some of you the light is as hot as a fiery furnace that threatens to engulf you if you don’t run away fast enough. The light is so intense you want to turn you face away before it blinds you.
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus proclaims. Jesus came to end suffering. To bring heaven to earth. To make the blind to see right? That seems to be what the gospel story is about today. Jesus said that the blind man he and his disciples ran across was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. Then, Jesus heals the man’s blindness. And just like that, God’s works are revealed? Well, yes. But that’s only part of the story. If that was all, then the story should have ended right there at verse 12. Instead, the story doesn’t end until verse 41. Something else is happening in this text that it is easy not to see right away.
The blind man gets healed twice. Twice. Not just once but twice. The first time he gets healed quite quickly, right? Jesus puts some mixture of mud and spit on the blind man’s eyes, the guy takes a bath and voila, he can see again! Yeah Jesus! But that’s only half of the story. The most surprising miracle doesn’t happen until Jesus meets up with him again at verse 35.
“Jesus heard that the Pharisees had driven the man who had been blind out of the synagogue and, when Jesus found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man answered, ‘And who is he sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” I would like to propose to you that this man who was healed of his blindness is still blind. I mean, he can see trees just fine, and flowers, and his feet and the clouds in the sky, but he can’t see everything can he. He still can’t see Jesus for who he truly is. He can see just fine, but he is still blind to what is happening. He is spiritually blind. He has no faith.
“Jesus found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man 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.” And right there is where the blind man was healed of his blindness for a second time.
Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He also said this, “I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” I want you to consider that there is a very good reason why the story today did not end at verse 12. The story did not end with the blind man being healed once. The question is, why?
Why is the blind man healed a second time? Because, even with his sight restored, the blind man would have gone blind again. Whether it was through natural causes like retinal degeneration, a freak accident, or at death when he was placed six feet under the ground. Jesus came into the world to be the light of the world, to destroy sin and the suffering it causes, but he didn’t just do it once, he did it for all time. That’s why he didn’t just heal the sick, but he became sick himself, to the point of death on a cross, to save the world from sickness and death.
If the story ended with the blind man being healed once, then those of you who have anger management problems might learn to be nicer to people, but you would still have all your other sins to deal with. If the story ended with the blind man being healed once, then those of you who have been hiding your sins would be exposed, but who would be there to heal your reputation. If the story ended with the blind man being healed once, then those of you terrified by the depth of your sinful condition would never know the glory of a forgiving and loving God.
I have no idea what amazing works of healing God will work in your life. I hope to be around here a long time so that I can see a lot of them. Think about the many diseases and injuries and aches and pains that you suffer with daily. Think about the many diseases and injuries and aches and pains that your friends and family suffer with in their lives. No doubt, many of these sufferings will be healed through the gifts of doctors and nurses, chiropractors and osteopaths; mothers and fathers. Some people won’t be healed at all. Some people will be healed miraculously. But everyone who is healed will eventually die. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And, “The wages of sin is death.”
That is why the blind the man is healed twice in the story today, and God’s work of faith is revealed in him. For those of you who have spent your life hiding your sins, Jesus has exposed you. And with your sins out in the open for all to see, Jesus Christ the light of the world, declares, your sins, which are many, are forgiven once and for all. You have been healed, in the sight of God, for all time. And for those of you who can’t find a way to hide your sins, Jesus has exposed you as well. And with your sins out in the open, for all to see, Jesus Christ, the light of the world, declares, your sins, which are many are forgiven once and for all. You have been healed, in the sight of God, for all time.
And, just in case you were wondering. Whenever, you find yourself suffering from hurts or diseases or aches or pains look to Jesus Christ. For he alone has the power and the compassion to heal you once, twice and again and again. Whenever your mistakes and sins have you in the pit of despair look to Jesus. For he alone has the power and the love to forgive you once, twice, and again and again to give you eternal life forever.
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus said. So, for as long as you live in this world, with sin, suffering and death, you may look to the light of Jesus for forgiveness, healing and salvation. Jesus has come to expose your darkness, to expose your blindness and to create for you a new life of light and salvation. Amen.
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