Pastor Jonah Sage preached Mark 8:22-30. He said that the Light of the World draws near to overcome our darkness. Lector: Lisa Tant
Pastor Jonah Sage preached Mark 8:22-30. He said that the Light of the World draws near to overcome our darkness.
Lector: Lisa Tant
Last week, we saw another beautiful miracle of Jesus: feeding the 4,000
This culminates nearly 2 years of miracle watching for the disciples.
Healings, teachings, and unexpected wonders.
This was the second mass feeding they had witnessed...and they didn't understand the depths of what was happening.
In a miracle to the Israelites, they are left with 12 baskets of food.
At the very least, representing a new Israel. 12 disciples, 12 baskets of miraculous provision...but they didn't understand.
In a miracle for the Gentiles, seven baskets are left. The number of fullness, completion. Kingdom of Jesus is for the Gentiles, too...but look how that story ends:
"Don't you understand yet?" [Jesus] asked them.
-Mark 8:21
Jesus did not come to fill people's bellies...
To say it differently, the mission of Jesus goes beyond feeding the hungry.
He came to bring renovation of the heart, and the clearest picture of what that means in the gospel of Mark is Jesus bringing sight to the blind.
The mission of Jesus, the light of the world, is to drawn near and overcome our darkness.
What is renovation of the heart? The blind receiving their sight.
Light overcoming darkness.
Seeing reality clearly, who they are, who others are, and who Jesus is.
Theologian Ched Myers wrote a fascinating book called Binding the Strong Man.
It discuss the political undertones of Mark.
He argues that the political situation in a nation affects its citizens ability to see.
He argues politics in a nation exposes a soul's vulnerabilities leaving it open to all kinds of negative influences.
The political situation in Israel blinded the disciples to the mission of Jesus.
All they could imagine was a political kingdom of God marked by rebellion from Rome, violence, and government authority.
Pressure, be it from pain or politics, darkens our eyes.
They couldn't see what Jesus was up to, light drawing near to overcome darkness
I wonder if anything similar might affect us today.
We are observing Advent. Are they any political or social pressures on us today?
Anyone have a recent conversation about the war between Israel and Palestine? Thanksgiving chat about the 2024 presidential election?
Even worse...anyone ask you what do you want for Christmas?
Anyone in a different tax bracket ask you that? How can I compete?!
Here come the Christmas cards, we don't look like that, haven't achieved that.
Limped our way through 2023, no awards are grand promotions...
Maybe all Advent does is remind you how life has not gone for you, or reminds you of who isn't here for Christmas this year.
Pressures of our world, pressures to create a Hallmark Christmas, the pain of losses and limitations, all conspire to create a season's blindness in us.
Advent, a season of darkness, often leaves us in the darkness, feeling blind.
We can't see Jesus. We can't see his mission. We can't see what all this is for.
The pressures of an American Advent have a way of creating season's blindness.
And we cannot open our eyes ourselves.
Most of us think "oh I'm not blind." Or "I used to be blind."
Isn't so often "they're the ones that are blind."
The democrats are blind, amen? No! Republicans are blind!
No, it's the Baptists, no it's the Catholics! It's the Palestinians, it's the Israelis!
It's my wife! It's my husband! But if it's never you who is blind...
Well that's something to be curious about, isn't it?
We have to be willing to see ourselves amongst the disciples.
At the very least, we have to cultivate an openness to the possibility that we are just as blind as they were.
When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.
-Mark 8:22
Notice the blind man didn't go to Jesus himself. Didn't cry out for Jesus.
He was brought to Jesus. Someone else believed on this man's behalf.
Someone brought a man in darkness near the light of the world.
Perhaps we need to be open to the possibility that we are like this man.
Perhaps we need to be open to realizing help must come from outside ourselves
And then two truly bizarre things happen:
Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?"
-Mark 8:23
First oddity: Jesus spits on and touches this man's eyes.
Why? Why not just a word? Is it magic spit?
Jesus heals in ways that make the most sense to the person in need.
He rarely heals the same way twice, have you noticed?
And each time, you'll notice the way he heals would be particularly powerful for the person being healed.
A leper is touched when no touch is necessary.
Hands are raised for a deaf man when no hand raising is necessary.
Spit and fingers are placed a blind man's eyes...because he wouldn't have seen anything Jesus did.
He's communicating to this man in a powerful way.
Second oddity: Jesus asks if it works!
So...can you see?
Some teachers of Judaism in Jesus' day thought curing blindness was the greatest miracle possible.
They taught that it was a greater miracle than even raising the dead, a miracle only God could do.
Maybe this is one reason Jesus asked if it worked, knowing what a difficult miracle it was...but I think there's a lesson for us here beyond that though. Listen to the man's response:
The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around."
-Mark 8:24
Does the man sound upset by this? Not at all! If you were blind, and in a moment you could see, even if it wasn't very clear...would you not be thrilled?
I wonder if some of us have settled for better instead of healed.
Sometimes, we are so grateful just to have a little relief.
Sometimes, improvement can feel like the problem is solved.
But getting better is not the same as being healed.
Having blurred vision is not the same as having restored sight.
This man answered Jesus honestly, and he probably answered him gratefully.
But Jesus is not like us...he's not content with better.
He did not come to make us better, he came to give sight to the blind, to renovate hearts and heal souls:
Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.
-Mark 8:25
Jesus was not satisfied until complete healing occurred.
Jesus was not satisfied with partial sight, he is after restored vision.
When the light of the world comes near to us, he does not leave until our darkness is overcome...and even then, he stays.
He has made a home with us, within us, by his Spirit.
So...what might God be inviting us into amidst the darkness of this Advent season?
First, I believe God is inviting us to identify with the disciples and the blind man.
Are you willing to admit how confused, needy, you actually are?
Are you willing to acknowledge the lingering darkness in your life?
Advent is a season that can free us from the prison of pretending.
Advent frees us from the pressure of pretending we are experts, the pressure of pretending we have it all together, the pressure of being anything but what we are.
Freedom sounds like, "I didn't know that", or "I'm not so sure", or "I have a lot to learn."
Advent is the journey from darkness to light.
It is the journey from blindness to sight.
If we do not, or CANNOT, acknowledge our blindness...we may never see
The gospel is not good news if there is no darkness, no blindness, no need...and if we dull ourselves to our own need, or we refuse to listen to those who try and tell us, we will miss the good news of this Advent season.
Second, I believe God is inviting us to accept that healing is a gradual process
Renovation of the heart is often slow work.
Often, like the case here, our sight is restored in stages.
We rejoice in improvement. We thank God, like I'm sure this man did, when our sight moves from darkness to blurry.
But may we not be a people content with better.
If this is your first Advent without someone you love, the pain will be great.
The presence of Christ and the love of a church can make that pain better.
Next year, your burden will be lighter. Ten years, lighter still.
Healing is most often a gradual process.
Change is most often a gradual. Process.
All of life is a returning to Jesus.
Third, I believe God is inviting us to become a people of profound hope
It may seem strange to you that we observe Advent...a season focused on darkness, on longing, on unfulfilled desires. Why in the world we would do this?
We do this because we believe Jesus gives sight to the blind.
We do this because we believe darkness gives way to light.
We do this to remember the light of the world drew near to us to overcome our darkness
By dwelling on the darkness of this season, as well as the darkness in our own lives, we ultimately prepare ourselves for the in-breaking of God's light.
We acknowledge the pain we feel over loved ones lost because it fills us with the hope of our eternal resurrection.
We acknowledge our confusions because it fills us with hope in the clarifying presence of Christ
We acknowledge the darkness that lingers because it fills us with hope about the ultimately healing will be ours when the light of Christ comes again.
We are not alone in the darkness. Our lives are not fundamentally stories of pain.
Our lives are stories of hope, healing, and wholeness, because Jesus' life is one of hope, healing, and wholeness.
We will not be content with better, we will hold on for healed.
Jesus came to give sight to the blind.
Jesus, the light of the world, draws near to overcome our darkness with his light.
Let's pray.