Open My Eyes That I May See

John 9:1-23

Jesus Heals

A Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along; he saw a man who was blind from birth. This man was a beggar.

“Rabbi,” Jesus' disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or his parents’ sins?”

 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “But this happened so the works of God might be made manifested in him. We must quickly carry out the works of Him who sent us, while it is day. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The disciples regarded the man’s congenital blindness as caused by sin, either his own or his parents’ sins. However, Jesus disagreed with this common belief. Jesus shifted the talking about suffering into gazing life itself. Jesus used this man’s suffering to teach about faith, about seeing the works of God and glorify God.

Jesus’ method of healing was a unique one: He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and then spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. Jesus’ act alluded to God the creator who first used dust to shape the human body (Genesis 2:7).

And Jesus said to the blind man, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). The blind man heard Jesus' command and did as Jesus instructed. So, he went and washed and came back seeing!

The Blind Man: Seeing, Believing and Worshiping Jesus

Jesus was sent by the Father to minister God’s works on the earth. He was the light of the world and the living water. He sent the blind man to Siloam. The man responded by faith and went. He washed his eyes with the water of Siloam and he received his sight.

However, the greatest miracle was not the opening of his eyes but the opening of his heart to the Saviour. He manifested a growing understanding and faith in Jesus, and finally gave Jesus the reverence due only to God. How do we know that?

His neighbours and others who knew him asked him, “Who healed you? What happened?”

He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So, I went and washed, and now I can see!”

At this point, the man had been healed but he had not been saved. He had not seen Jesus but he had heard Jesus' voice. 

Since the Pharisees were religious leaders, it was right that the healed man be brought to them for investigation. The Pharisees questioned the man and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

Jesus later found the man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? You have seen him, and he is speaking to you!”

Some manuscripts read the Son of God. It signifies Jesus’ identify as both human and the Messiah (Dan 7:13-14).

 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

The healed man believed in Jesus, worshiped Him as God and was saved. He was not afraid of the Jews persecuting him, even to the extent of chasing him out of the synagogue. This would mean that he was cut-off from friends and family and be looked on by the Jews as a sinner.

Such miraculous healing of his blindness and the boldness in his heart to testify for Jesus echoed Jesus’ words: “This happened so that the works of God could be seen in him”.

The man was born blind. He had never seen the beauty of God’s creation or the faces of his loved ones. Like this man, we are also vulnerable to all kinds of sufferings, absurdities and uncertainties in life. We live in a fallen world where good behaviour is not always rewarded and bad behaviour not always punished. But all these are not the determining factors that make our lives a disastrous failure.

Jesus performs God’s works of redemption and healing in our lives. When Jesus encountered the blind man, everything was changed, and the man was made to see, speak out and believe. We also could journey on a new chapter of life after meeting our Lord Jesus, just as the blind man had experienced.

Today, keep trusting Jesus in every area of life, and respond to His call, “go to Siloam”. This means to embark on the mission that you are sent for. You will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). You will see God’s wonderful works in life and be able to experience love, joy and peace in life.

However, we also know that some people do not see God’s works happening even when the Light shines on them. They remain in darkness, swallowed by bitterness, insecurity and dissatisfaction. How could it be?

The Neighbours: The Sceptic and Indifferent

The man’s neighbours and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 

Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

The neighbours had seen the man begging regularly. However, they were sceptical about the identity of the man and hence the work of God. Why?

Maybe they had not noticed him. They knew he was blind, and gave him alms, but they did not squat down to take a good look at him, or talk with him. They became accustomed to everything, and hence indifferent and sceptical to everything.

"Take for granted, indifferent, wouldn’t care less, self-centred, sceptical and doubtful”; are attitudes that make people fail to appreciate the things happening around them. As a result, they couldn’t see the works of God. They have become blind spiritually.

God has done great works in our midst. God’s people have been the light and salt but many people are just not able to see. They live a routine, busy and self-centred life. Their hearts are so hardened and negative to be touched, moved, or changed. There is no joy, no purpose, and no direction in their lives.

The Pharisees: Blind Believers

Then they took the man to the Pharisees because the incident that Jesus made the mud and healed the man, happened on the Sabbath. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So, he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So, there was a deep division of opinion among them.

The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and now could see. So, they called in the man's parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

Then for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

Then they cursed him and threw him out of the synagogue. Persecution may come when you follow Jesus. You may lose friends; you may lose your life. But no one can ever take away the eternal life that Jesus gives you.

The Pharisees were only concerned about law and tradition, and keeping their status and authority above God's revelation and works. It was illegal to work on the Sabbath, and by making the mud, applying the mud on the man, and healing him, this constituted to the performing of three unlawful ‘works’. So, they readily condemned Jesus’ healing as unlawful and resolved that he must be a false prophet.

They summoned the blind man and his parents, and harassed them so that they could deny that Jesus was from God and that he had healed him. The Pharisees were merciless. They should have been praising God for a miracle taken place, but they  did not open up their hearts. They became unteachable. They loved power and status without longing for righteousness. They envied Jesus, who could perform miracles and His popularity on the people. As a result, they could not see the miracle.

The Pharisees did not realize that Jesus was offering the people the genuine Sabbath – the true spiritual rest that comes from God. They became spiritually blind, unable to see God’s works. They experienced no joy and satisfaction even though Jesus had indeed performed wonderful works of God in their midst.

And Jesus condemned the Pharisees:” If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty, but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

Today what fills your heart?

Let’s get rid of excessive defence mechanisms, prejudices, jealousy and complacency with old way of doing things. Open up our hearts to appreciate the new things of the Lord, and accept others for who they are. Be less judgmental but more embracive to others. Then we will be able to see God’s works in our midst.

The Parents: Silent Believers

The Jewish leaders asked the man’s parents, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.  They did not rejoice; neither were they grateful to God for their son who could now see. They regarded their son’s healing as a matter of giving them trouble, and they wanted to "to draw a line" between them and their son.

They were fearful of being excommunicated from the synagogue if they too had affirmed Jesus’ healing. They chose to stay on the side-line as the “silent majority”. They did not speak up for justice because they were defensive and fearful of the people. They did not have the courage and a clear conscience to witness the truth. As a result, at this moment of miraculous healing work, they experienced no joy and peace.

Conclusion

The man born blind had received his sight, but to the others - "the neighbours, the Pharisees and the parents" had become blind!

Today, let’s take heed of Jesus' command, to go to our ‘Siloam’, so that we could receive our sight. Come to see Jesus face to face, know Him intimately and worship Him as Lord and Saviour.

Let’s also hearken to those who suffered, and understand their plight, show empathy to them. Let’s cast away fear, jealousy, bitterness, indifference and excessive defensive mechanisms, and open ourselves to the new ways of doing things; go all out to uphold the truth; appreciate every good work and good people around us. With this attitude above, we will see the wonder of God’s works in our midst.

“Seeing the works of God” will make us experience the love, the joy, and peace, and stay resilient and purposeful in our life even amidst the life condition of “darkness”—confusions, misunderstandings, disillusions, sufferings, grief, chaos and threats.

Springtime Rendezvous

Song of Songs 2:8-17

The Young Woman

Adores Her Lover

In verses 8-9, “Listen, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room.”

“Listen and Look!” is to prompt the readers to see things from the perspective of the young woman. She is surprised to see her lover because he has to journey, or trek, from afar and overcome many obstacles in order to come to be with her.

She compares her lover to a gazelle, a fast, sleek animal that easily overcomes obstacles to reach its destination. He is running towards her with a spring in his step. She is very excited to hear of her lover’s coming. He is also very excited as he runs towards her.

But when the young man reaches her house, he does not enter into it. Instead, he stands behind the wall of her house. He peers through the windows to gaze at her. The woman pays attention to his every move.

The “outdoors” represents freedom, adventure, and new experiences. Conversely, the “indoors” represent safety and life within the confinement of social expectations. The wall and the windows separate the “indoors” from the “outdoors.”

Clearly, the woman is experiencing some obstacles or difficulties. Will she breakthrough from her obstacles in order to be with him?

In verses 10-14, the young woman retells what the man has told her:

My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, me fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! My dove is hiding behind the rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely.”

In Palestine, winter is the rainy season of clouds, gloom and cold. When winter is past, and the rains are over and gone, the young man wants to take his lover into the romantic countryside during the new, budding spring.  

The stimulating and invigorating sights, sounds, and smells of spring energize romantic feelings, saturated with love and life. The whole scene depicts the harmony between humanity and nature.

Over and over again, the young man invites her to come out from the “indoors” to be with him in the “outdoors” of nature. “Come away”, means to leave one’s personal space to explore the world that God has created.

The love relationship between a man and a woman is not one of seclusion but one that is open to the outside world and thereby finds its place in the world that God has created.

The call for her to “come away” requires her to desire to be with her lover in a wholehearted and unreserved manner. Couples, who are in love or married, ought to find opportunities to be in touch with the God-created nature and to enjoy intimacy between the two and, together, enjoy intimacy with God, the creator of the world.

The young man addresses his lover with the metaphor, “my dove!” In Ancient Near-East culture, a dove symbolizes the “goddess of love.”

It is not easy for the young man to find his “goddess” because she is hiding in the clefts of the rock and in outcrop on the cliff. The couple is playing a game of hid-and-seek in which she is teasing him. He resorts to simply pleading with her, “let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely”.

The young man is eager to see her face, for even playful separation from her is too frustrating for him.

In verse 15, the Young Women of Jerusalem, as third party in the drama say, “Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!”

Just as the love between the couple is about to blossom, love-destroying little foxes suddenly appear. Maybe these refer to gossipers or third parties who hinder the two from meeting and falling in love. The Young Women of Jerusalem exclaim, “Catch the foxes and protect the love!”

All of us seated here today have the responsibility to catch the love-destroying and home-wrecking little foxes!

In verses 16-17, the young woman declares, “My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies. Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, return to me, my love, like a gazelle or a young stage on the rugged mountains.”

“My lover is mine, and I am his” declares her commitment to her lover. “He browses among the lilies” expresses the intimate association of the couple, for the woman is often likened to a garden.

This short declaration is deeply rooted in the commitment of reciprocal love between the woman and the man, and in the intimacy that the two enjoy.

In OT, Genesis Chapter 2 tells us that when God created Adam, He declared that it was not good for the man to be alone. God wanted to find a helpmate for Adam. As Adam was naming the animals, he did not encounter a suitable helpmate.

So God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and took a rib from the side of the man and closed up its place with flesh. God created Eve from the rib and brought her to him.

When Adam saw the woman, he exclaimed, “I found her at last! This is bone of bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman.”

Adam’s admiration of Eve above, corresponds with the woman in the Song of Songs who says, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” The relationship between a man and a woman in both the Song of Songs and the Garden of Eden emphasize mutual commitment of love, spiritual compatibility, and lives that are wholesome and abundant.

Application

Song of Songs 2:8-17 is a depiction of the mutual seeking for each by both the man and the woman. There is a yearning to find each other and once they find each other, they find the wholesomeness and the pleasure of belonging to each other.

First, we see that our song is set in the pleasantness of springtime. Springtime plus the love and intimacy between the man and the woman brings us back to the Garden of Eden.

In the Garden of Eden, God brought Adam and Eve together and established the institution of marriage. God declares, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (2:24).

At that time, the husband and wife were naked but they did not feel ashamed (v. 25).

The physical and emotional connection between a husband and his wife is the most intimate relationship created by God. Such a relationship is open to each other and trusts in each other. There is no obstacle and guardedness between the two.

May God bless our marriages and help the married couples. May God forever sustain our marriages with the mutual love and the unbroken intimate relationship between husbands and wives. A marriage like this is wholesome and abundant.

Second, this song depicts the man inviting the woman to go “outdoors.” If the “indoors” symbolizes the world of self, then the “outdoors” symbolizes a world beyond the self. The woman needed to walk out from her self-centeredness in order to experience a world beyond her own self-interest.

Love requires each of us to leave our self-centeredness, to be adventurous, to have the courage to face an uncertain future, and to lose our self-interests. When we fall in love, we must walk out of our self-oriented world in order to understand our partner’s world and to learn to see the world through his or her perspective.

Today, regardless of whether we are in courtship or in marriage, we must always walk out of our self-world in order to explore and experience the mysteries of life with our lovers or spouses.

The Bible in Gospel of John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves the people of the world. He sent his only Son to save this fallen world. The Son obeyed this call of love and stepped out of his self-world. He became a human being and was born into our world. His name is Jesus. Jesus identified with the people of the world. He lived for thirty three years on the earth to proclaim the grace and truth of God.

In order to save humanity and the whole world, he was ultimately crucified on the cross, bled, and died. His blood cleanses the sins of humanity. His sacrifice exchanged forgiveness for the sins of humanity. Jesus died. Three days later, he rose from the dead. He promises eternal life to everyone who believes him.

Jesus traverses through “mountains” to seek for us and invites us to step out of our own self-worlds to experience the abundant life with him. He said, “I came that you may have life and may have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Are we willing to accept Jesus’ invitation to come out of our own self-orientation?

I hope that our dear friends and relatives who are seated here today will join with so many Christians in this hall today, that we would open up our hearts to accept Jesus as our Lord. Jesus will surely forgive our sins and lead our lives through an abundant and meaningful journey!

Finally, we want to give our blessing to this newlywed couple. Today they desire to establish their marriage covenant before God. Theirs will be an adventure of leaving the comfort zones of their own self-worlds. Theirs is also a blessed journey of faith.

May the Lord Jesus be their navigator to lead them into, first, a sweet husband and wife relationship; second, a God-fearing marriage; and, third, becoming a couple that serves the needs of the world.

Dream Your Way to Success

Matthew 1:18-2:12

I have a Star…

Let’s begin by listening to the story of a star.

On a night two thousand years ago, a few wise men from the East went to Jerusalem after they saw the star of the king of the Jews—the Messiah.

After they arrived at Jerusalem, they were told that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Then, they went on the road to Bethlehem. The star re-appeared before them. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy (Matt. 2:10)!

The star led them to the place where the child was and stopped there. And going into the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary; they fell down and worshiped him. They offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts to him.

These wise men were astrologers. When they saw that star, they were filled with joy, and drawn to this star. Why such an outrageous response from the wise men?

The reason is because the star brought to their conviction of the arrival of Messiah whom the Jews longed for. They strongly believed that this star represented the fulfilment of hope and promise.

At that time, the nation of Israel had lost their kingdom for more than five hundred years. God’s people, Israel were in despair. They were living under Roman occupation. They considered themselves not having return from Babylonian Captivity yet. So, they put their hope in the coming of the Messiah, as prophesied by Isaiah:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

The appearance of the star rekindled their long-cherished hope. However, King Herod and some others in Jerusalem were deeply disturbed when they learned of the star.

King Herod was the puppet king of Judea, installed by the Roman Empire. If the Messiah, the King of the Jews, was truly born, then his position as king would be in endangered. In the name of national security, social stability, and his personal gain, he used the wise men to ascertain the whereabouts of the newborn King, so that he could kill the new born child.

However, the wise men did not report back to him. Outraged, Herod ordered the killing of boys aged two years and below throughout Bethlehem. This was the tragedy of the “Massacre of the Innocents.” These infants were victims in the name of national security.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, the Israelites had long lost their kingdom. Some Jews had actually had given up hope. They had lost faith on ancient prophecy. Some even collaborated with the Roman Empire by joining the ruling class. They were the Sadducees and temple priests.

The prophesied Messiah seemed to have been reduced to a mere national myth – irrelevant and dead. However, the emergence of the star pierced the darkness and altered the course of history.

The star was a proclamation of faith, hope, and God’s promise. Christmas is season of faith, hope, and God’s promise, not just busy travelling, shopping and eating. Are you today in the right mode of Christmas?

I have a Dream…

Next, let’s come and dream.

Whenever you tell people about your dreams, people often pouring cold water to you, saying, “Come on, be more realistic! Stop daydreaming!”

Actually, what is the difference between daydreaming and dreams?

Of course, our dreams are always beyond present reality. That is the nature of dreams. Whatever you can accomplish under present conditions and existing systems cannot be properly called a dream. Dream by nature is unrealistic, and for this reason, we cannot but feeling fascinated and excited when dreams come true!

Two thousand years ago, there was a man by the name of Joseph who had a dream.

When Joseph learned of his fiancée’s pregnancy, he decided to quietly end their engagement. When he had considered these things, an angel appeared in Joseph’s dream, saying:

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (that is, ‘God with us’)” (1:20-23).

When Joseph woke up, he obeyed the instructions of the angel and married Mary.

Joseph’s situation was very sudden, inexplicable, and utterly absurd. At first, he refused to marry Mary out of human instinct, common sense, and fear. Then, he obeyed ungrudgingly angel’s instruction to marry Mary. Why such a change of attitude?

The only explanation for this change of attitude is that the dream helped him to understand that the absurd event was actually God’s will and plan. When he understood his situation from this new perspective, he readily obeyed and, thus, connected his life to God’s plan.

Do we still have dreams for ourselves and our families, for the church, and for our communities or the country?

It is equally important to ask: Are our dreams related to God? In the pursuit of our dreams, do we entrust those dreams to God and beseech Him to grant us the wisdom, courage, strength, and hope that we need?

If we respond according to God’s will, new possibilities will open up to us and dreams that are inconceivable can be achieved, even in the face of difficulties, limitations, and the incomprehensible. Just like Joseph’s response to his dream, we are to undertake even self-sacrifices in realizing our dreams so as Christ could be “born” into people lives.

On the night of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds were out in the wilderness of Bethlehem. Suddenly, angels appeared in the sky and the sound of their praises to God broke the silence of the night. They declared, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (2:14).

The angels were announcing more than just the birth of the king of the Jews. They were proclaiming the arrival of the Saviour of all humanity. This new possibility is an inconceivable dream. The coming of Jesus was not only to fulfil a Jewish legend. His birth was a universal legend!

Ah! A Legend…

The star and the dream two thousand years ago spoke of the transcendent God who became a human being by the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ words, deeds, and teachings embodied and proclaimed the gospel of repentance and forgiveness for sinners. He intervened in your lives and mine in order to save us.

Today, our celebration of the birth of Christ is also a celebration of the renewal of life. Anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour will have their lives transformed. They will experience God’s bountiful grace and their lives will be a legend!

Jesus does not only save us individually but He also establishes churches through His disciples so that love and peace, justice and judgment, may be announced and prevail in every generation.

Jesus comes to liberate those who are oppressed, those who are marginalised (or, even trampled) by the mainstream of society, and also those enslaved by distorted values of the world, just as Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour” (Luke 4:18-19).

Today, two thousand years later, in our journey through the maze of life, when we lose our sense of direction and cannot find the way out, let us look to heaven and behold that the ‘star of wonder, star of night’ is still brightly shining. May the sight of the star rekindle our dwindling faith and lead us forward in our journey.

May what the Joseph heard and responded in his dream continue to remind us today that we should dream big for God, and walk according to God’s will and have His plans accomplished in our lives, making our lives a legend.

Perhaps we feel as though we are in prison, with all kinds of restrictions placed upon us, which causes us to jettison our ideals. Let’s look to heaven and behold the still shining star of old and have our shaky faith renewed. May the sight of the star renew our values and earnestness as we steward our families, careers, the church, our communities, and the country.

Let’s listen carefully to the voice that the Joseph of old heard in his dream. Allow the voice in that dream to summon us to never give up even in the face of the seemingly impossible set in a hostile environment. In all things and at all times, we should lay ourselves down, commit to God, accept His arrangements, and participate in His plan.

Conclusion

The road that we travel together with the Lord is a long and arduous one. Our sanctification and accomplishing the mission of the church are also long and arduous journeys. It is inevitable that we slip and fall. Or, after scaling one mountain we may discover that there are still many other mountains ahead of us.

As we journey through the long and arduous road, let’s behold the star in heaven, set our heart upon the dream, and God will help us to live out the legendary life, to the glory of His majestic name!