The Light of the World

On a senior adult trip to the Lost Sea back in 2008 there was a point in time which the tour guide let all of us present experience what total darkness is like. When everybody was ready, all lights were extinguished for a few seconds so everyone would know that eery feeling. Deep underground on the way to the body of water known as the Lost Sea, there is no outside light present at that point on the tour. However, after a few seconds the lights are turned back on and you're relieved because you can see again.
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to have been blind all of your life and have Jesus provide you with the gift of sight? Our text comes from John 9:1-12 which contains one of Jesus' famous statements "I am the light of the world" (5). As we examine this story, let us notice some of the practical applications from the first few verses of the text.
Bad things in our lives can have great outcomes
Often times we see people in difficult situations and we wonder why. I don't believe there is anything wrong with that, as we don't know the answers, but God knows and He has a reason. I heard a story one time about a couple who had a son that was killed in a robbery. There was a trial for the other young man who killed their son, and he went to prison. Over time, the parents of the son who was killed went to visit the young man who had committed the crime. A relationship was developed as a result of these visits, and eventually the inmate was obedient to the gospel message. Who would have ever guessed that something so tragic could have such a great outcome?
Jesus took a man in a difficult situation and turned it into something to give God the glory. The disciples thought the man was blind because either he or his parents had sinned. They were simply falling victim to the old theory called the doctrine of retribution (or double retribution). People who believed in this assumed that if you did something good you were always rewarded, but if you did something bad you were always punished. Therefore in the case of the man born blind, they just knew that either he sinned or his parents did.
Jesus took this time to correct them as he let them know that it was neither, but that the glory of God would be displayed (3). He was going to use something bad and turn it into something great!
God can do great things even in bad situations. People lose their jobs. Sometimes there are greater opportunities that present themselves and the people soon forget about the hard times they had coping with that loss because they are now in a better situation. People lose their health, lives, children, etc., but so many times we can see something great appear when it looks like impending doom has moved in next door! Consider Paul in Philippians 1:12. He states "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Wow; Paul was in prison, yet he was still saying that something great happened because of it. That is remarkable, and we can see that God can do great things during bad situations.
Opportunities are available for a limited time
There is a show on television called Wipeout where contestants go through a series of obstacle courses for a chance to win $50,000. On many of the obstacles there are moving pieces to avoid, or else you wind up getting knocked off into the water below. This is a game of timing where you have a limited window of opportunity. If you wait too late, then it may cost you in the competition. If you make it to the wipeout zone in the end, you are competing against the time of the other two contestants. If you fail to complete it before they do, you lose. You have the opportunity to finish the course until the buzzer sounds.
Jesus explained to the disciples that he was working until his time was up. He states that you work during the day, but the night is coming when you can't work. Jesus was talking about working for the Father. Consider what was looming just ahead for Christ. He would be betrayed by one of his own, sentenced, scourged and crucified. He only had a limited time to get done what needed to be done, and He knew that.
Opportunities do come with expectations and limitations. Paul recognized when an opportunity was available and noted that it was a priority in 1 Cor. 16:7-9 when he talked about "a wide door of effective work." He also prayed for an opportunity, that God would open a door in Col. 4:3. He knew about opportunities and how they needed to be acted upon. However, there is scene in Mt. 25 with which we are all too familiar that teaches of the importance of acting on these opportunities. In verses 31-46 this scene of the judgment shows the reward for acting on our opportunities versus the punishment for neglecting them. It should be a reminder to all of us that the time to act on our opportunities is now while we are still alive. When we're standing before the judgment seat of our Lord, it will be too late.
Christ truly was the light of the world
You've heard stories of people who have had their sight restored. None may be more fascinating than that of Martin Jones (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197256/Blind-man-sees-wife-time-having-TOOTH-implanted-eye.html) . He had lost his eyesight in an accident at work, and had been blind for twelve years. He had been married for four years when he underwent a revolutionary procedure. He found a doctor who would take one of his teeth and create a way for him to see. To make a long story short, the first thing he saw was his wife, whom he had never seen. What a great day that must have been for him as the light from the world was now visible to him again.
Just as Martin Jones saw his wife for the first time, Jesus restored the sight to the blind man so he could see for the first time. He told his disciples, "I am the light of the world" (5). He used mud and saliva to anoint the man's eyes and commanded him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (7). One of the great aspects of this story is that he did exactly as Christ commanded him. The man was now out of the darkness as he had been exposed to the light of Christ.
There are people who walk around in darkness because they don't have Christ as their light. John opens his gospel talking about how Christ was the true light that came into the world, and he came to his own people, yet they did not receive him (Jn. 1:9-10). He even states in his first letter the importance of walking in the light and staying away from the darkness (1 Jn. 1:5-7).
A co-worker of mine once walked into the door frame as she was trying to head towards the restroom in the middle of the night because she couldn't see. Are you walking around in the darkness? Christ is the light of the world who has the power to overcome the darkness.

Is Jesus in Your Boat?

The Basilisk lizard has been nicknamed the Jesus Christ lizard; once you see footage of its trademark walk (or run) on the water, then you understand why it is so labeled. Found in the tropical rain forests of central America, from Mexico to Panama, this lizard is identified by its special run. Especially when it is escaping from predators, it uses its special feet to glide across the water using its tail as a counter balance. It can do this for approximately 15 feet before gravity begins to take over. Though the lizard eventually has to give in to gravity, there is someone who has the power over the natural law of gravity and he proved it to his disciples in John 6:16-21. Since Christ had withdrawn to the mountain to pray, the disciples found themselves without him as evening came which brings us to our story.

The disciples were having difficulty rowing the boat

If you've ever been in a boat with the wind blowing, you know the problems it creates. On more than one occasion at the lake behind the house of this writer, the wind would pick up strongly enough to have to abandon the boat on the other side of the lake because of the inability to paddle against the wind.

The disciples were put in an even greater windstorm on the Sea of Galilee. When the disciples got out in the boat, they were having a terrible time fighting the wind and the waves which were caused by it. Imagine if you will the disciples out in a boat with no outboard motor to help speed things along (in case you're puzzled, they didn't have 200 horse Mercury motors in that day and time). Rowing can be strenuous enough when there is no wind, but it would become extremely difficult when the wind would blow hard. Jesus saw them from the land as they were beaten by the waves and made headway painfully (Mt. 14:24; Mk. 6:48). They were having a really hard time without the Lord.

It is difficult to row the boat without Christ in it. There are a lot of times in our lives where we try to do things on our own without the Lord. Jesus said "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

The disciples saw Jesus walking on the water

Nature itself shows us you can't walk on water. Albeit the Basilisk lizard is a pretty cool sight, that only lasts for a few seconds. If you try to walk on water you will sink. My middle son, Chandler tried it one time. We had gone to my parents' house when he was about 18 month old. My oldest son, Conner and I were in the boat just about ten feet from the bank when Chandler got away from my dad and decided he would walk out to us, but when he hit the water....you guessed it, down he went. Dad picked him up by his britches and the look of total shock was on his face. Conner erupted in laughter as it was very entertaining to him. If dad had not been right there it wouldn't have been so funny!

The disciples were frightened when they saw Jesus coming to them walking on the water. They had rowed about three or four miles from the shore. To give you a visual, the Sea of Galilee was approximately 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. Matthew and Mark provide some additional details in their accounts. They say it was the fourth watch of the night, which was roughly 3-6 a.m. and that they thought he was a ghost (Mt. 14:25-26; Mk. 6:48-49). Imagine how you would have felt if you were in the middle of a windstorm in a boat at 3:00 a.m. and you see someone standing there in the pitch black! I believe this would have been enough to rattle anybody's cage!

It wasn't a ghost; it was Jesus and he had come to them in the boat by walking on the water.

Though Jesus doesn't walk on the water anymore, he is still available to save us. "...he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him..." (Heb. 5:9).

The disciples were not afraid anymore

As scared as we get sometimes, we know that it's only temporary. Think of the times you've been to see a scary movie where scenes from the film almost make you jump out of your skin. It is quite horrific for just a moment, but then that moment has passed. There is a commercial on tv for a law firm where a group of people are ghost hunting. When the girl in the commercial supposedly gets attacked by a ghost, all fears are put to rest once someone turns the lights on.

Once Jesus reassured them that it was he, they were glad to take him into the boat. Matthew's account follows this with Peter's walking on the water. Mark's account add some other things: Christ got in the boat and the wind ceased; they were utterly astounded, they did not understand about the loaves and their hearts were hardened. Though we get some other perspectives on this story, the fact remains that Christ calmed their fears by showing he wasn't a ghost.

Perhaps you've had a time when the Lord's presence calmed your fears. Zephaniah 3:17 says "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." It has been said "the Lord will either calm your storm...or he will allow it to rage while he calms you"

Are you in the middle of a storm where you're struggling to navigate through the rough waters? Jesus is the answer. If you'll bring him on board, he'll calm your fears!

A Meal for the Multitudes

The story is told of a young man who just got out of Bible college and prepared to preach at his home congregation. He studied real hard and even memorized his lesson. Banging his hand on the podium in the middle of the sermon, he told the congregation that Jesus took 5,000 loaves and 2,000 fish and fed 5 people. With a dramatic pause he asked the congregation if they could do that. A roar of laughter filled the auditorium, and the young preacher couldn't figure out what was going on. One man even raised his hand which caused the preacher to ask why he thought he could do what only our Lord could. The gentleman kindly corrected the preacher telling him what was wrong with what he said. The young preacher was at a loss for words, and he sat down in humiliation without even being able to finish the sermon.

The people of the congregation were very supportive of the young man even encouraging him to preach it again next Sunday, so he did. That next Sunday morning he correctly stated that Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed 5,000 people. Again he asked if anyone could do that, and to his surprise the gentleman in the audience raised his hand again. Very upset again, the preacher questioned the man who then replied that would be possible because he could use the leftovers from how he preached it last week.

In the gospel of John we do find what is referred to as the fourth sign, the feeding of the multitudes. With the Passover at hand and a big crowd on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus saw an opportunity to provide for the people. Here we see that Christ provides a meal for the multitudes as he indeed uses 5 loaves and two fish proving that he is the master of quantity (Tenney). Follow along with me in John 6:1-14.

Jesus tested the faith of the disciples

There are opportunities in life which test our faith. Sometimes we grow as we go through these tests and trials if we bear up under them and hold fast. However, sometimes we buckle under the pressure and fall away from our faith. Different people react in different ways; each situation is going to be different.

Jesus asked a question to test the disciples' faith. He asked Philip where they could get bread for these people to eat. There were two responses from his disciples. The first came from Philip who seemed to be a pessimist. Philip immediately knew that it would be hard to feed this many people. By the way, there weren't just 5,000, as that was besides women and children (Mt. 14:21). It seemed it was his way of saying two hundred denarii (a denarius was a day's wage) would hardly be enough to provide appetizers for all these people. On the other hand, the second response came from Andrew who found a boy with five loaves and two fish. Even though he did ask how this would be enough for so many people, he still found something that the Lord could use. Andrew seemed to be an optimist. By the way, every time we see Andrew he is bringing somebody to Jesus. Think about it!

Jesus multiplied the meal for the multitudes

Remember the creatures in the movie, Gremlins where both the furry kind and the ugly, monster kind multiplied when they got wet? That was pretty cool for a movie, especially when Stripe jumped in the swimming pool as Billy watched in horror. In this story from John 6, Jesus doesn't use water to multiply the loaves and fishes; he does it himself as he takes the five loaves and two fish and multiplies it for the multitudes.

After Jesus gave thanks, he distributed the food. The bread was barley, which supposedly was one of the least desirable breads, even as it was the least expensive of that region. The fish were probably small fish which were dried or pickled, very similar to our version of sardines. Though this was a very small amount, Jesus took this and distributed it to those in the grass and they ate as much as they wanted. Who would ever think that five loaves and two fish would turn into an all you can eat buffet? It seems as though it did in this case.

Jesus taught a lesson on leftovers

In 2010 more than 34 million tons of food waste was generated. We are truly throwing away so much food that goes to waste, which is not a good thing. In our text, Jesus took this time to teach a very valuable lesson on waste. He commanded that the disciples gather up the leftovers so there would be nothing lost. If he was saying this just to have them clean up, it seems as if he would convey the idea of not making a mess, but instead he said so that there's nothing lost. It appears as if they would reuse the leftover food, according to his wording.

There were twelve baskets of leftovers from the miraculous feeding. How often are you going to wind up with more food after you're done that what you started with? Who knew Jesus could do so much with so little. Merrill Tenney says that Jesus is the Master of Quantity!

Though we see what Jesus did by providing such a miraculous meal in the feeding of the multitudes, there are still some great lessons for us today.

The testing of our faith is a good thing - 2 Cor. 13:5

There is no job too big for the Lord - Mt. 19:26

The Lord can do greater things than what we can imagine - Eph. 3:20

Preparing the Way

Recently on a trip to west Tennessee there was some construction taking place at the Natchez Trace where it crosses over highway 412. Traffic always slows down a bit, but the travel continued, and the five of us preachers from the West 7^th congregation found ourselves in the small town of Linden. As we went through town and were about to drop down the hill, one of those pilot cars that precedes a wide load almost pushed us off the road making sure we were out of the way when the next big rig came through with one of the I-beams used for construction at the Natchez Trace. As if that wasn’t enough to get our attention, another one of the pilot cars drove even more erratically forcing us off the road. As we got by him we could see why he was driving the way he did. The next few trucks carrying more I-beams came around the curve at the bottom of the hill taking up both lanes with no reservations. Those pilot cars were trying to prepare the way for what was to come, and they had gotten our attention!

It reminds me of John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming Messiah. In Mark 1:2-3, Mark uses a passage from the prophet Isaiah to show that John would indeed prepare the way for Christ. John fulfilled his ministry which led to Christ being baptized by him in the Jordan, beginning His ministry and eventually dying on the cross for the sins of the world. The paths were made straight because John prepared the way. Unlike the pilot cars for the wide loads on the road, John wasn’t forcing people off the road. Instead, he made sure people could walk the straight path.

The next time you see one of those pilot cars driving ahead of the wide load, take time to reflect on the work of John the Baptist who paved the way before the Christ.

Christ Heals the Cripple

Different situations enter our minds when we think about someone being crippled. One of this writer's most memorable images is that of Forrest Gump. Though it is a fictitious story, the character sticks out in your mind as you think about him wearing those braces on his legs. His legs were strong but his back was as crooked as a politician. One day while he was running from some bullies, he was being hindered by his leg braces as they were slowing him down. As the bullies continued chasing him on their bicycles and throwing rocks at him, his leg braces began to come apart as he picked up speed. Eventually, the braces just fell right off of his legs and he never slowed down running everywhere he could go. Unfortunately, you'll hardly ever hear of a story like that where somebody who is crippled is healed so easily.

Looking at John 5:1-18 we are introduced to a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years. He was laying around by a pool in Jerusalem which the Scripture says was near the Sheep Gate and it was referred to as Bethesda. There were a number of people who were in need of healing, and it was believed that at certain seasons an angel of the Lord stirred up the waters; whoever got down into the water first was healed. It has been suggested that these were simply intermittent springs as is even evidenced by the "so-called 'Fountain of the Virgin' in Jerusalem, as it has "the same phenomenon" (Edersheim 463). Jesus is here in this occasion and comes into contact with this crippled man where we see that Christ heals the cripple.

There was a prevention to the healing

Imagine having a disease where you are unable to get the treatment you need. Perhaps it's because of a lack of financial resources needed to pursue the treatment, or maybe something else, but you are unable to get the help you need at the time. Something had kept this crippled man from being healed. When Jesus saw him he knew he had been there a long time. How many of us have ever waited a long time at a doctor's office thinking we're never going to be seen? Jesus simply asks the man "do you want to be healed?" (6). You would think that the man would answer Jesus' question, but instead he offers an excuse as to why he has not gotten into the water yet. He was claiming that others were getting into the water before he could, therefore he had not been healed.

Often in our lives, excuses prevent us from doing great things. Consider Moses when he tried to get out of doing what God wanted him to do by going to Egypt and leading the children of Israel out of bondage. In Exodus 4:10 he tried to use the excuse of not being a good enough speaker and later tried to get the Lord to send someone else; needless to say, God did not allow Moses' excuse to change his mind, even though God's anger burned against Moses. In this case, the excuses didn't stop Moses from doing something great.

What about you? Do excuses stand in your way of taking part in spiritual things? Are there sometimes in your life where you refuse to get involved in church activities because you would rather take part in extracurricular activities? Have you foregone a service opportunity to do something good for somebody because you wanted to do something for yourself? Have you ever been like Moses where you thought you weren't gifted enough in a particular area to serve in the Lord's work? Don't let excuses hinder you from doing something.

There was a provision for the healing

Imagine receiving a bite from a poisonous snake with no anti-venom available. You would feel very helpless if there was no provision around to treat your condition. Maybe that's how the crippled man felt as he was so close to the water but was unable to be healed by it. Though the crippled man was prevented from the provision available in the nearby water, there was now a better means of healing that would be provided through the Great Physician. Jesus gave the command to "get up, take up your bed, and walk" (8). At once the man was healed and obeyed Jesus.

The Lord will provide for people according to His will. Don't just think about this from a medical perspective but also from other needs which the Lord provides. Money, opportunities, children and many other things are provided from the Lord and distributed among people on this earth. Though he provides them it's not just when we want them. Just like the crippled man the Lord chooses to provide.

We know from the Bible that we don't always get what we want. Consider Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8ff. He had asked the Lord three times to take away that thorn in the flesh, but the Lord had a purpose for leaving it with Paul. Jesus was also praying in the Garden of Gethsemane for the cup to pass from him if possible, but he wanted the Father's will to be done (Luke 22:42). James says that we ask for things and don't receive because we ask with the wrong motives (James 4:3).

There was a problem with the healing

Ordinarily when someone does something good there is rejoicing. However, sometimes people will attack your efforts to do something nice. Consider the eleven-year-old girl from Virginia who recently tried to do a good deed by rescuing a baby woodpecker from a hungry cat. After she secured the bird from the clutches of the cat at the home of her father, she placed the bird in a container with an intent to release it shortly. On the way home with her mother, they stopped in at a Lowe's store, carrying the container with the bird in the store due to the heat outside. While in the store, a fish and game officer saw the bird and informed the girl and her mother that it was illegal to transport a migratory bird. They assured the officer they were soon to release the bird.

After they got home they released the bird and even called the fish and game office to tell them they released it, who in turn told them they did the right thing. Two weeks later the fish and game officer who had seen them in the store showed up with someone from the sheriff's department with a citation saying the mother was going to be fined $535, and scheduled to appear in court with the possibility of facing up to one year in prison. There was such a public outcry over this that the fish and game dropped the case and did not hold the mother liable for this event. Talk about causing a fuss for doing something good!

When Jesus healed the crippled man the Jews caused a fuss because it was the Sabbath. The Jews told the man he was breaking the law by carrying his pallet around. In Exodus 20:8-11 the Lord made sure his people knew that there was to be no work done on the Sabbath, for it was a holy day. The problem later arose when the Jews started to add to the written law where their traditions became oral laws added to what God had given. In a document called the Mishna, which is a compilation of these oral laws, there are thirty-nine acts of labor which were prohibited on the Sabbath. The last of these acts is the one the Jews were accusing the man who had been healed in this text, which says it is unlawful for the Jews to transport an object from a private to a public domain, or to move it more than four cubits in a public domain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat). When they were accusing the crippled man who was now healed of this act, they were also accusing the one who told him to do this. When he told them the man who healed him told him to do this, they then turned their attention to finding out who this was who commanded such!

Problems are created when we turn traditions into commandments. Some people get upset if the order of worship is not what it normally is. Some people get upset if brother so-and-so doesn't wear a tie when he waits on the table. Problems arise when we take traditions and try to make them binding on others. Consider how Jesus responds to the Pharisees on this type of matter in Matthew 15:1-9 when he tells them they are breaking the commandments of God for the sake of their tradition.

Perhaps you are not crippled but you are in need of the healing touch of the Great Physician! Are you guilty of making excuses though you have unlimited opportunities to do great things? Are you focused on things of the world to provide answers to your problems while you are unaware of what the Lord provides? Are you upset about some good being done only because it's not in keeping with your tradition? Let the Master have his way with you as he takes away whatever is crippling you in this life!