A little clarity here, please

On this, April 1st, AKA April's Fool Day, we take a moment to appreciate the gospel of John because John is the master of double meaning and mis-direction.  He takes a blind man, gives him sight, and plunges the unbelieving crowd into darkness.  With John, something like 'sight' or 'sees' never has only one meaning.

The man was blind from birth.  Out of the blue, he is given the gift of sight (although truthfully it must have been an enormous adjustment for him, very unsettling).  It takes him a couple of tellings of the story to figure out that this was such a miraculous occurrence that he had to have been touched by God's servant.  We watch as he progresses from calling Jesus 'a man' to 'a prophet' to 'a man from God' to 'Lord'.  His sight came immediately but his 'sight' developed over the course of the story.

Of course the dis-believing onlookers took the journey the other direction.  At the beginning they could read the eye chart at the DMV without any trouble, but any suggestion that a miracle had occurred; any suggestion that God could be at work on the Sabbath with this man and counter to all their expectations was rejected and mocked.  In the end, Jesus points out just how blind they are because they cannot see the miracle right in front of their face.  They cannot see who Jesus is.  Their blindness causes them to be separated from God; lost.

The Pharisees don't believe any of it.  They even mock Jesus when he claims they are blind.  Isn't that the way with us?  We think we are knowledgeable, faithful, pious but in truth we can't see the hand in front of our face nor the darkness which covers our vision.  I wonder if, any time we find ourselves saying, 'Oh no, God couldn't be acting like that' we shouldn't take a moment and consider this story.  We might just be missing the miracle of God at work.

It wasn't just the anonymous man who was blind from birth.  We are all born blind - and it is only Jesus who can take a little mud and create a whole new life for us.

John 3.16

Perhaps you've seen the signs at football games.  Someone, somewhere once wondered out loud which player the sign was referring to.  I'm glad I don't remember who that was.  But it is always helpful to remember that what is central in my life is non-sensical to others.

For God so loved the world....notice that God's action comes first, before anything else

that God gave the begotten Son.....next time the idea of generous giving for the sake of God's kingdom comes up, remember this phrase.  Clearly God didn't weigh the world's need next to the cost of cableTV.

so that whoever believes in him......notice how open that invitation is.  Anyone.  Everyone.  It is also helpful to replace the word 'believes' with the word 'trusts'.  It gets us out of our heads and into our hearts and lives

shall not perish.....much has been written on this.  It only makes sense in my faith if I don't take it literally and assume that 'perishing' has a different and deeper understanding than 'dying.'

but have eternal life.....many will translate this into 'go to heaven'.  Not a bad translation but a weak one in my opinion.  'To tap into the fullness of life that comes from the divine' would offer to me a richer, deeper and life-altering experience of the presence of God within my life today and every day.

But don't stop there.  Verse 17

For God did not send his son into the world.....Jesus is then an intentional action of the Divine God

to condemn the world......this wasn't a search and kill mission.  Frankly, the world was doing a pretty good job of 'going to hell in a handbasket' all by itself.  It didn't need God's assistance

but in order that............this phrase is going to point us to the purpose of God's action in Jesus. (that is what 'in order that' signifies)

the world might be saved through him.......Jesus comes so we might know life/ healing/ wholeness.  That is what forgiveness brings to people - a healing of whatever the broken past is that is so weighing us down that we cannot fully live into the future.  Forgiveness gives us a 'do over' a new beginning, or as the gospel of John puts it .....so we might be saved.

Luther (brother Martin) called these two verses the 'little gospel' or the good news in a nut shell. 

But just in case you missed it, there will be those who do not believe, who do not trust, who do not look to God for new life/ healing/ wholeness.  The implication here is these folks will not receive these blessings.  So, either we (the historic Christian witness in the 'inspired Word of God') have distorted God's message in Jesus, or there will be some whose lives will be a 'dead end.' 

Not many 21st century folks believe in a fiery hell, but I am not sure what the implications are for those who turn away.  It doesn't sound too good.  I know that I don't want to go there.