We see a man born blind who is healed by Jesus. The disciples ask Jesus an interesting question. Who sinned to cause that man to be born blind? Was it him, or was it his parents? Jesus answers their question this way – neither. Neither sinned, but his blindness will show the greatness of God. God was not out to get this man; God loved him. The same is true today for us. God is not out to get you today. He’s not mad at you. He loves you. He is for you. He wants you to repent and turn, yes. But God loves you. He’s on your side. He’s not mad at you.

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Good morning, everyone! It’s great to be with you on this Friday. I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and are gearing up for an exciting weekend. For us, it’s the start of band season, with marching competitions kicking off. Thomas will be heading to Olive Branch to compete, and I think Ollie will join him. Meanwhile, I’ll be at home, probably watching football and working on a paper—because that’s what I do now, I work on papers!

It’s going to be a great weekend, and I’m looking forward to Sunday at St. Matthews, where I’ll be preaching at our Intersection service. I always enjoy preaching at Intersection, and after the service, we’re having a potluck—because, as you know, we love to eat around here! We’d love to have you join us for worship at 10:30, followed by the potluck. It’s shaping up to be a great day!

Now, let’s dive into today’s scripture. We’re in John chapter 9, reading verses 1 through 12, where Jesus heals a man born blind. This is one of those powerful stories in John’s gospel that unfolds over several verses, but today we’re just going to focus on the first part.

As the passage begins, we see Jesus walking along and encountering a man who was blind from birth. His disciples ask him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus responds, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”

This statement by Jesus shifts the entire perspective. The disciples were working from the assumption, common in their culture, that suffering or misfortune was a direct result of personal sin. But Jesus reframes the situation, explaining that this man’s blindness wasn’t a punishment—it was an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed.

In a symbolic and physical act, Jesus makes mud from the dirt and his own saliva, spreads it on the man’s eyes, and instructs him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. When the man does this, he returns with his sight restored. The neighbors who had seen him begging were astonished, asking, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said it was him, others thought it just looked like him, but the man himself kept saying, “I am the man!”

I find this exchange amusing. Can you picture it? The man is literally standing there saying, “Guys, it’s me! I was blind, but now I can see.” Yet the people are debating whether it’s really him. It’s such a human reaction—sometimes we struggle to accept a miraculous change, even when it’s right in front of us.

There’s also something profound in how Jesus heals the man. He uses mud and spit—simple, everyday elements—to perform a miraculous act. As Max Lucado once said, “If God can use spit and dirt, He can use me too.” I love that. Jesus consistently uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary, which reminds us that God can work through even the smallest or seemingly insignificant parts of our lives.

What I really want to focus on is the disciples’ question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” The assumption that misfortune is a direct result of sin was deeply ingrained in their culture, and sometimes we still think this way. We might believe that when something bad happens, God is punishing us. But Jesus completely rejects this line of thinking. The man’s blindness wasn’t a punishment—it was an opportunity for God’s works to be revealed.

This passage is encouraging because it reminds us that God is not out to get us. He’s not keeping score, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. I used to think of God as a stern, angry figure, constantly disappointed in me, but that’s not who He is. He loves us, and He wants to bring good out of our struggles, our pain, and even our failures.

Romans 8:28 tells us that “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” That doesn’t mean everything we go through is good, but God can bring good out of every situation, no matter how bleak it seems.

So today, remember that God isn’t angry with you. He loves you, and He’s not keeping a tally of your mistakes. He wants to heal you, just as He healed the blind man. And whatever you’re facing, know that God can bring something good from it.

Thanks for joining me this morning. I hope you have a fantastic weekend. We’ll pick back up on Monday with the Pharisees’ reaction to this miracle—it won’t surprise you to hear that they weren’t too happy about it! Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you Monday morning.