"Mom," he typed, "you know I don't go to church anymore. But I've been reading a lot and I read in the Gospel of Thomas that you can find God under a rock or in a tree." I couldn't resist and quickly typed back, "So are you going to a rock or a tree tomorrow?"
Jesus could have told his disciples, “It’s nobody’s fault. God didn’t make this man blind as a punishment. This blind man has come to us so that you can be made to see. Now open your eyes and watch this.” Then we get the wonderful interaction between Jesus and the blind man.
More persistent than every other appetite, spiritual hunger cries out for nourishment. Many otherwise intelligent people jam all sorts of junk into their souls to try to fill the hole--materialism, mysticism, astrology, they are all on the menu every day… looking tasty but ultimately without nourishment.
Our faith rests on what we believe but cannot prove, what we confess but cannot explain very well. And nothing is harder to prove or explain than Jesus, who and what he is or even why we have come to believe in him.
(This sermon was delivered to a group recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.) Several years ago, I invited a blind man to come and deliver the sermon here. I figured if us drunks & addicts get to tell our stories, then why not have a blind guy come and talk about his?
The main course is that which fills us up and nourishes us. The main course is the steak and potatoes. The soup and salad and the desert are wonderful. But the main course makes or breaks the meal. Jesus is saying, "I am the main course."
"You people amaze me. You don't know where he comes from, but yet he gave me sight. God does not listen to sinners, but God DOES listen to those who do his will. Since the beginning of time, no one born blind has ever had his sight restored. If this man had not been from God, he could never have done it."
The word "pastor" means "shepherd." This not only describes Jesus, but it also confronts Christian pastors and teachers. The Christian ministry is never really a profession but a calling. It is not a job but a service. It is at the same time protecting the flock and seeking the lost.
Because no one is as blind as those who will not see, the Pharisees are the blindest of the blind. In their blindness they stumble about in anger and ignorance; striking out at the man cured of blindness, his family, and ultimately at Jesus.
Sermon John 6:37-40 Blessing! A funeral homily for a man who received and gave blessings John 6:37-40 Blessing! The Rev. Charles Hoffacker In the course of this service, we will hear much about Oliver and the life he lived among us. There will be remarks and messages, an obituary and a eulogy. There will [...]