{"id":11244,"date":"2026-03-09T09:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?p=11244"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:58:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:58:02","slug":"that-those-who-do-not-see-may-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?p=11244","title":{"rendered":"That those who do not see may see"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Select here for a pdf version.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 9:1-41<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see,\u201d said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see that kind of contradiction at the end of the text from John for today: \u201cFor judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind\u201d (John 9:39).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it to see? To be blind? Three examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example #1: Steve Jobs. He was a brilliant entrepreneur, who did remarkable things, and who sadly died in 2011 at the age of 56. In 2003, knowing the seriousness of his diagnosis (pancreatic cancer), he gave the commencement address at Stanford and said the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one wants to die. Even people who want to get to heaven don\u2019t want to die to get there. Yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. That is as it should be. Death is life\u2019s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But some day, not long from now, you will be the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it\u2019s true. Your time is limited so don\u2019t waste it living someone else\u2019s life. Don\u2019t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people\u2019s thinking. Don\u2019t let the noise of others\u2019 opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart, and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a practical level, it\u2019s a poignant reminder that life is short and don\u2019t be afraid to take risks, to be creative. But on another level, as a worldview or faith, the message is that the meaning of life is something each of us can and must generate within ourselves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a worldview that says: Life is what you make of it. So, make of it what you can and what you want because when you\u2019re dead, you\u2019re dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way of living is a kind of an idol: I can see and judge. Exactly what the John 9:39 is about: \u201cFor judgment he came into this world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example #2. This one has to do with the infallibility of the Pope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pope in Rome speaks infallibly when four conditions are fulfilled. It has to be (1) that the Pope speaks, (2) that he speaks to the whole church, (3) that he intends to define something, and (4) it\u2019s something on faith and morals. The Roman Catholic Church claims that when these four conditions are met, the Pope speaks infallibly, that is, the brokenness and fragility of history is lifted, removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the same as what we sometimes called \u201ca miracle.\u201d It doesn\u2019t mean that the Pope is without sin, and it doesn\u2019t mean that everything he says is infallible. In fact, it is generally agreed to be the case that the conditions for infallibility have been met only twice in the 19th<\/sup> century (1854 Immaculate Conception of Mary, 1870 Papal Infallibility) and only once in the 20th <\/sup>century (1950 Assumption of Mary). To be sure, regarding earlier centuries, one could go back and discuss other such papal decisions. Nevertheless, there is a point where the brokenness of this world is lifted, removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We say: \u201cWell, no.\u201d That\u2019s a kind of idol, a miracle, and it goes against what is said here in John 9:39, as well as other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about us? We are more like Steve Jobs. What\u2019s true is what convinces me, what I am convinced by because I can see it work. It\u2019s reasonable, and on top of that, what my intuition tells me the way things are. Beyond that I cannot say or see. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can even see with our mind\u2019s eye through optical illusions. At first your mind is deceived, and then you can see through them. The same is true for light. We know it has infrared radiation. We don\u2019t see infrared, although insects do. We know that, and therefore we can see through the problem. We can see, that is, with our minds and five senses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example #3: Spiritual experiences. There is also the idea that there has to be something more to life, so what happens then? The evil one comes in and whispers: \u201cThere are spiritual experiences.\u201d What it really amounts to is saying: \u201cYou should have your own private miracle, somewhat like the Pope himself, lifting all the brokenness of life. Here your reason and common sense are lifted. You should have an experience that convinces you.\u201d And that is really an idol, a place where you and I imagine the brokenness and the limitations of this world have been lifted for me. Not others, but \u201cI know.\u201d At that point, the evil one has us in his grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin Luther said that something like that happened to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you what happened to me. I was in my room in fervent prayer when suddenly appeared upon the wall a bright vision of our Savior Jesus Christ, with the five wounds. He was looking down at me. He seemed to be truly there. At first, I thought it was a revelation from heaven, but as I thought about it more, I realized that it was an illusion, a trick of the devil, for Christ appeared to us in his Word<\/strong>, and in a meaner, more humble form. So, I spoke to the vision: \u2018Away with you, confounded devil!<\/strong> I know no other Christ than he who was crucified, and who in his Word is pictured and presented to me.\u2019 Then what happened is that the vision vanished<\/strong>, clearly showing of whom it came.\u201d (WATR 1:287, 8-27; emphasis added).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luther is saying: \u201cDon\u2019t put your trust in visions and experiences,\u201d but not just that. He is also saying the same as what Paul writes in Galatians 1:8: \u201cIf anyone preaches any other gospel, let him be damned.\u201d He goes on in Galatians 2:14 to rebuke Peter because he had gone against \u201cthe truth of the gospel.\u201d What is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul is saying that we are caught by the evil one whenever we think we can depend on our reason or on our personal experience, forgetting that we are caught in sin and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our reason cannot be depended upon, nor can experiences, dreams, and the like. We resist that, thinking: \u201cThat has to be it. That is it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the truth is as Luther writes in the Small Catechism: \u201cI believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are continually tempted away from that, tempted by reason and by experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes on to say that the Holy Spirit is the one who calls and sanctifies, so light comes from him. The Holy Spirit is not an experience, and he\u2019s not subject to our reason because we\u2019re caught in sin and death. It\u2019s something we can\u2019t face because we really don\u2019t want to face the First Commandment: \u201cHave no other gods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want to decide. We want to have some say in it, but we\u2019re caught in sin and death. As Paul writes in Romans 3:4: \u201cLet God be true though every man be false.\u201d God is justified in his judgment. \u201cNo one is righteous, no not one\u201d (Romans 3:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout this chapter 9 in John and, also in John, chapters 1, 8, and 12, the message is: Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and the light is Jesus and the cross. All other light is blindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.\u201d Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him: \u2018Are we also blind?\u2019 Jesus said to them: \u201cIf you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, \u2018We see,\u2019 your guilt remains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are caught, judged, found wanting, and so are we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But John 9 is followed by John 10, and there we read: \u201cI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep . . . I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.\u201d Amen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John 9:1-41<\/p>\n

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.<\/p>\n

We see that kind of contradiction at the end of the text from John for today: \u201cFor judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind\u201d (John 9:39).<\/p>\n

What is it to see? To be blind? Three examples: <\/p>\n

Select here<\/a> to read more or here <\/a>for a pdf version.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11244"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11257,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11244\/revisions\/11257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}