In the Bible Jesus talks about our faith in God. We can't see God or prove that he exists, but the Bible tells us that God is love and we can see and feel God's love all around us each day in the beauty of nature and the kindness of others. We can choose to believe. Faith is a gift from God. We can ask God to increase our faith, even if it is small, and make it strong.
Faith is powerful. But power is not something we can create ourselves. We must have faith that God will supply the power. It is like turning on a switch to receive the power of electricity. Our power comes from God.
Paul tells us that God calls all of us. There is something special for each one of us to do. Paul tells us that we "are also called to belong to Jesus Christ" (1:6) which means that each one of us is invited to be a part of the Christian family. Our Christian family needs the special talents that each one of us has. We just need to say, "Yes, I'll help. What may I do?"
The leaders told the man that they didn't know where Jesus came from. The man laughed and let out a “whoop!” [Let’s hear your whoop!] The man said, “Jesus opened the eyes of a person born blind. Can’t YOU see? It’s as plain as day. Why can’t YOU see? Jesus came from God. No one but God has the power to do what Jesus did.”
God had chosen this man to help people understand who Jesus was. So Jesus performs a miracle…he heals the man so that can see! (Guess how? Do you really want to know? I’ll give you a hint…it’s kind of yucky. I’ll make you a deal…you listen very carefully during the reading and see if you can catch it. Then come and tell me what he did at the end of the service. And if you miss it, I’ll tell you.)
After the man was healed of his blindness, Jesus asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" (9:35). The man was able to see Jesus and said, "Lord, I believe!" -- and worshiped Jesus (9:38). There is more than one way of seeing. The man who had been blind came to realize that there is also a "spirit way" of seeing. We see with our eyes and we also see and come to understand the love of God with our hearts.
Having good eyesight is a wonderful gift. In addition to good eyesight, there is one other important thing that we must have to be able to see. Do you know what it is? Yes, it's light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" (9:5). There is a wonderful story in the Bible about a man who was born blind. He had never been able to see. Jesus spat upon the ground and made mud which he put on the blind man's eyes. He then told the man to, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (9:7). The man did what Jesus asked him to do and was able to see.
Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy. To do this he had to prove that he was "brave, truthful, and unselfish." He got in with a group of bad boys and started telling lies. Every time he lied his nose grew longer. Kind of funny, but also sad. Our noses don't get longer when we tell a fib or lie, but our hearts do feel heavy when we aren't truthful. Jesus says, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples" (8:31). "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (8:32).
Jesus said, "He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water" (7:38). Isn't that a beautiful idea? Jesus suggests that we could be like a river and give others what they need to have a good life. When we believe in God we receive his Spirit. His Spirit lives in us and provides us with love that flows from us to others. God's love flows from our hearts like a "river of living water." We all benefit from that.
When we believe in God, we are given his Spirit that lives within us. The Spirit of God is what we feel inside that helps us make good choices. It teaches us right from wrong. It comforts us when we are upset. It makes us aware of the good things in our lives. Like a river, the Spirit of God provides many things that are necessary to us. We could say "the living water" - the Spirit of God, gives us life now and forever.