Children’s Sermon

John 9:1-41

More Than One Way of Seeing

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John 9:1-41

More Than One Way of Seeing

By Lois Parker Edstrom

OBJECTS SUGGESTED:

Pictures of owls, sea stars, penguins, honeybees, and/or spiders.

Picture of an owl available at:
http://www.hickerphoto.com/owl-pictures-5414-pictures.htm

Picture of sea star available at:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/starfish.html

Animals have interesting ways of seeing. Have you noticed that when light is flashed into cat’s eyes they glow in the dark? Cats have something like mirrors in their eyes that allow them to see things in the dark that we can’t see.

Another creature that sees well at night is the owl. Think about how large the eyes of an owl are. Those large eyes allow them to take in more light so they can see things in the dark. (Show picture of an owl.)

Penguins have eyes that help them see well underwater and sea stars have “eye cups” inside the tip of each arm. (Show picture of a sea star.)

Honeybees see rays of light that are invisible to us and they are also able to see “secret colors” so they can go deep into a flower and collect pollen.

Many spiders have eight eyes!

What are we to make of all this? We learn that there is more than one way of seeing. Jesus taught us about this idea when he caused a blind man to see. The man had been blind from birth. Others asked the man, “How were your eyes opened?” (9:10).

The man said, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see” (9:15). The man did not know exactly how Jesus had restored his sight, but he did know this: his eyes had been opened and he could see – a miracle.

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 he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him (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.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible