Presentation 30
Presentation 30
Introduction
A large lump of concrete is left in a grassy field for a number of
years. One day it is removed exposing bare soil underneath.
The intense light first causes all sorts of insects to dart for
cover. Then in succeeding weeks new growth begins to
appear. Seed, lying dormant or blown by the wind,
responds to the light with vigorous growth.
Twice Jesus reveals himself as ‘the light of the
world’. First, to the religious establishment in Ch.8
and like the insects, they scattered from the
light escaping into the comfort of darkness.
Secondly, in Ch.9ff we discover a
different response to light and new
growth begins to flourish.
Presentation 30
A Blind Man: A Case Study
A blind beggar was for the disciples no more than a catalyst for a good
philosophical discussion. Many Jews believed that all illness and suffering
could be traced to a specific sin of an individual or family member. And so the
disciples ask, “Who sinned this man or his parents?” Jesus answered briefly
because he had an important task to perform.
This man’s need was more important than the disciples’
speculation. Questions have their place but Jesus’
concern is to work within the limited time
constraints at his disposal. Hence his reply,
“I must work the works of him who sent me.”
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
The necessity of doing God’s work shaped Jesus’ entire ministry. Remember his
reply to his mother Mary, when as a 12 year old. He had failed to use his ‘return
ticket’ from the feast of the Passover thus causing Mary and Joseph to return to
Jerusalem to look for him. When Mary found Jesus in the temple he said, “I
must be about my Father’s business” Lk.2.49.
When Jesus’ public ministry enjoyed early
success in Capernaum and he was asked
to remain there as their resident teacher,
he replied, “I must preach the Kingdom
of God to the other towns also, because
that it why I was sent”. Lk.4.43. Jesus
was driven by this imperative:
the necessity of obeying the
will of God.
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
Today, many people are blind to what God can do for them. Not just the poor,
the lonely and the outcast but the wealthy, the befriended, and those of social
standing. Do we care for their spiritual welfare as Jesus cared and do we work
as Jesus worked? We can be too busy with other things even church-related
things. But are we doing what God wants?
The church ought to be a hospital ward
for the spiritually sick. Too often, we have
reduced it to a museum pointing out what
God has done in the past. Have we
rejected God’s demanding agenda and
replaced it with a more comfortable
one? As a result are the spiritually
blind still sitting outside with no one
to help.
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
Notice too, that Jesus describes his mission and ours in the
language of urgency. He says, “As long as it is day, we must
do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no
one can work.” Jesus had little time left on earth to
exercise his ministry. Time for service is passing us all by.
We can think of that in two ways.
First, we can see it in terms of our physical ability to do
certain things - people put off vital service until some point
in the future, they fully intend to engage in this or that
work for God and then they discover that the energy of
earlier years is no longer present and as a result they are
limited in what they can do.
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
But secondly, circumstances change. The freedoms that
once existed to share the gospel message can disappear.
Let me illustrate that. In the 4th- 6th centuries the
church spent an inordinate amount of time in
theological debate and political infighting. It lost sight of
its mission to win each new generation.
The Goths and vandals swept down from northern
Europe bringing with them great devastation. The
period known as “the Dark Ages” was poised to envelop
both church and society. Giving fresh application to
Jesus’ words;
“Night is coming when no one can work.”
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
In the C7th, Islam came out of Arabia and spread
across North Africa and northwards as far as the
Russian Steppes and eastward to the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Again, in a short period of
time, the freedom of gospel communication,
previously enjoyed by the church, disappeared.
“Night is coming when no one can work.”
Some social commentators suggest that today, we live
on the threshold of a new barbarism in the
secularised West. Communication technology has
contributed to the erosion of moral values and
increasingly manipulates public opinion so that what
was once held to be ‘bad’ is now advocated as ‘good’.
Presentation 30
Doing The Work Of God
Within the West, the god of political correctness has become increasingly
intolerant of biblical convictions, which reflect traditional biblical values and
morality. While at the same time we are witnessing the rise and development
of a new paganism. Examine the book titles on offer
in many bookshops under the ‘spirituality’ category.
You will be hard pressed to find good Christian books.
Why? Because New Age religion titles dealing with,
healing crystals, nature worship and books on
the occult often take up the bulk of the space.
Are we currently making the most of the
opportunities for,
“the night is coming, when no one can work” ?
Presentation 30
Jesus’ Commitment To Ministry
What did Jesus do in a situation of enveloping darkness? Moments earlier the
religious leaders had attempted to stone him to death. We might think that
the obvious thing to do would be to put as much distance between him and
his enemies as possible.
But Jesus was not driven by self-preservation
and as a result was particularly sensitive to
the needs of others. He homed in on the need
of the blind beggar sitting near the temple gate.
Here was a man who couldn’t see Jesus and was
therefore not in a position to seek him out.
Presentation 30
Jesus’ Commitment To Ministry
In this context of enveloping darkness and significant human need, Jesus
refused to be distracted from the work he had been given to do. His rejection
by the religious authorities was not allowed to frustrate his mission nor were
the religious leaders’ attempts to stone him. Why?
Because God cannot be frustrated.
That is a difficult concept for many of us to grasp because
frustration is endemic in human experience. Think of the ways
in which you have encountered frustration in the past week.
Perhaps you have discovered that you cannot eat what you
used to be able to eat or, travel the distances you once
travelled or, see to sew in the way you once did.
Presentation 30
Jesus’ Commitment To Ministry
You might be frustrated by the fact that you cannot care for your family as you
would like or because you do not have the same spending power you once
enjoyed. The list is endless. But God cannot be frustrated! When he sets a plan
in motion nothing can thwart his objective. That’s the point of Luther’s hymn
God’s Word, for all their craft and force,
One moment will not linger,
But, spite of hell, shall have its course;
’Tis written by His finger.
And though they take our life,
Goods, honour, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small;
These things shall vanish all:
The City of God remaineth!
Presentation 30
Jesus’ Commitment To Ministry
We can draw a valuable lesson from this. If God’s purposes can’t be frustrated
- and they can’t - then if we make God’s purposes our purposes, we will not be
frustrated either.
Perhaps you have been sharing your faith with
someone and you feel frustrated because there
seems to be little response. Be encouraged by
this, if God is working in that situation, nothing
at all will hinder his work. If God has been at
work preparing the soil in the heart of another
then the seed you have sown will certainly grow!
Presentation 30
Conclusion
Think for a moment of this poor blind man and all he symbolizes. If there is to
be spiritual sight then Jesus, the light of the world, must first open blind eyes.
If the physically blind are unable to seek Jesus out, then the spiritually blind
can do no better. Men do not make the
first move towards Jesus.
It is Jesus who takes the first step. It is
he, and he alone, who enables us to see.
The light that he brings causes some to
run for the cover of darkness, but others,
like this blind man, are drawn out into the
light and are overwhelmed by what
Jesus does for them.
Presentation 30
Conclusion
What effect does Jesus, the light of the world,
have on you? Do you want to avoid the light
and slip into the shadows, or are you being
drawn towards him, attracted by the one who
wants to enrich and bless your life beyond
measure.
When Jesus shines we cannot remain frozen
to the spot – such an option is not available
to us. We run in one of two directions either
away from him or towards him.
In what direction will you run? May it be
towards the light.
Presentation 30