Text: John 9:1-41
(emphasis on verses 32-38)
Date: March 10, 2002
CJM
Step I - (Initial) Acquaintance
A. Comparison of English or other
published translations
·
V.
36 – “Who is he, sir?” (NRSV, NIV, NLT) vs. “Sir,… tell me who he is (New
Jerusalem) vs. “Who is he, Lord?” (KJV, NKJV, NASB)
·
V.
34 – “drove him out” (NRSV) vs. “threw him out” (NIV, NLT) vs. “cast him out”
(KJV) vs. “put him out” (NASB)
·
To
“drive out” seems more active
·
Active
process of permanently removing
·
To
“throw out” seems more whimsical
·
To
“cast out has a heightened sense of abandonment
B. Greek/Hebrew Textual Criticism
·
Verses
38-39
·
Several
witnesses lack these words
·
“And he said, ‘I believe, sir.’
And he worshipped him. And said
Jesus:”
·
Diatessaron
lacks 38-39 completely
·
Addition
of these words result of associating John 9 with baptismal liturgy or
catechesis
·
External
attestation in favor of longer reading
·
Omission
possibly editorial, to unify teaching statements in v. 37 and v. 39
·
“From
the age not it was heard that opened anyone eyes of a blind man having been
born. If not this man was from God, he
could not to do no anything. They
answered and said to him: In sin were you born wholly, and you teach us? And they cast him out. Heard Jesus that they cast him outside, and
finding him said: Believe in the Son of Man, do you? Answered one and said: and who is he sir, that I may believe in
him? Said to him Jesus: both you have seen
him and are speaking with the one who is.
And he said: I believe, sir. And
he worshipped him.”
Step II -
Disposition
A. Genre - How the text says what
it says
·
Dramatic
genre
·
Five
scenes
·
Two
types of dialogue
·
Pharisees/Jews
lead role
·
Interrogative/judgmental
in nature
·
Jesus
lead role
·
Jesus
heals – scene 1
·
Without
a lot of religious pontification
·
Jesus
comes back – scene 5
·
Reveals
self
·
Are
we blind from birth?
·
Physical
blindness
·
Spiritual
blindness
·
Born
into sin
·
Possibly
the only thing the authorities got right, when thy said to the man, “You were
born entirely in sins.”
·
Is
this blindness curable?
·
Curable
vs. treatable
·
How
much of this story is about the church?
·
The
church’s unwillingness to listen/hear outside of its own traditional ideals,
standards, practices
C.
Organization
- Where the elements of "B" are located
·
Critique
of the church found in the 3 scenes in which the religious authorities dominate
·
Interrogation
·
Rejection
Step
III - Composition
A. Immediate Context -
preceding/following pericope
·
The
story follows an extended discussion of Jesus as the light of the world in
chapter eight and precedes the shepherd imagery found in chapter 10
B.
Organization
of the Compositional Whole
·
Incarnational
theology
·
The
incarnation has changed our expectations for the end time
·
Eschatological
truth revealed in healing
·
Physical
blindness to spiritual sight
C.
Issues
of Authorship
·
As
John tells stories of Jesus, they are heard not merely in terms of Jesus’
actions but in terms of what implications the story has for readers
·
Pairing
of Jesus stories with interpretative discourse
·
Ideal
for narrative preaching
·
John
9 shows that which it seeks to tell
Step IV - Context
A. Primitive Christianity
·
This
story is not found in the other gospel accounts
·
This
text may reinterpret John 3:16
·
God’s
love offer
·
Those
who accept
·
Sight
·
Spiritual
·
Those
who reject
·
Blindness
·
Judgment
·
“Surely
we are not blind”
B.
Old
Testament and Judaism
·
Blind
man reminds authorities of foundational Jewish theological beliefs in attempt
to identify the “healer”
·
God
will not listen to sinners, but will listen to righteous
·
Psalms
66:18
·
Isaiah
1:15
·
His
argument ultimately rejected by authorities
C.
Hellenistic
World
·
Traditional
Hellenistic concept of piety
·
Someone
who actively worships God
·
Found
in verse 31
·
Also
find traditional Jewish concept
·
One
who obeys God’s will
Step V - Distillation
A. Summary of Salient Features
·
Blindness
·
Gives
us appreciation for sight
·
Must
we be blind before we can really see?
·
Physical
blindness vs. spiritual blindness
·
Role
of the church
·
Enable
sight or impair it?
·
Grace
·
Isn’t
that what causes Jesus to reappear in the final scene?
·
Transition
from the miracle to the purpose for the miracle
B.
Smooth
Translation
C.
Hermeneutical
Bridge
·
Blindness
as a way to sharpen our other senses
·
Physically
blind
·
Senses
of hearing, taste, smell enhanced
·
Spiritually
blind
·
Sense
of the Messiah enhanced?
Step VI - Contemporary Address
A. Description of Audience
·
UM
congregation during Lenten season
·
Introduce
concepts of physical vs. spiritual blindness
·
Born
spiritually blind
·
In
blindness, we still have a sense of the Holy One
·
Prevenient
grace
·
Introduce
difference between healing event and healing motive
·
Eschatological
motive
·
Love
motive
·
“Believing”
motive