A good laugh on a dreaded flight

This us us on the SAFE flight to D.C.

Well, as you may remember from my last post, I was a bit scared coming home from my flight to Atlanta. (The whole taping the wing thing just doesnt' do much for someone that is about to be elevated 30,000 feet above the ground.) As you may remember, I wanted to dive deep into the Word and prayer. This is what I read:

1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” 6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
Controversy over the Man
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” 28 They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

This text comes out of John 9:1-34. This text cracks me up. Jesus heals a blind man. He celebrates over the miracle. The religious dudes don't believe that he was healed, so they bring in his parents to make sure he really was blind...they turn the question to their ADULT son...the blind man makes fun of the religious dudes...and they kick him out (this is my summary.) You can learn alot from this text.

1. Jesus has the power to transform lives (v.1-7)

-Jesus saves. I love these two words. Powerful theology. This blind man is now able to see. We once walked in the darkness, but now we are walking in His marvelous light. What a Savior!

2. People sometimes need to examine or investigate in order to understand the truth from Jesus. (v.9-27)

-I sometimes wonder why my students hear the Gospel week in and week out, only to go home without even thinking about what they heard...Then they go to camp and hear it from someone else...then they are saved. I wonder, why does it take a few times, a few different people in order to finally get it? God works in His own sovereign ways. We're called just to proclaim like this healed man.

3. The truth of Christ offends (v.28-34)

-if you look deep into the 21 chapters of John, you will see how the words of Christ, the miracles of Christ, the truth of Christ offended many. I see this daily in the American culture. We should not be surprised! 1 Cor 1:18 teaches us, "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

This text really brought joy to my soul during a flight on the way home that at times almost made me have to change my pants. I love God's Word. I love the fact taht Christ changes lives, His message is trustworthy, and we must all face the reality that it will be offensive to some. Enjoy time in His Word. Read John 9.