Changing the Subject

Once again we find ourselves reading an extended story in the Gospel of John. This is one reason why I like this book so much, but another reason why it is difficult to preach on the Gospel of John in the worship setting. The Gospel does not set itself up to read just a few verses. To read the gospel of John you have to read it in chunks or else you cut stories short and end up missing big parts of the narrative. So, as has been the case all of Lent, we are going to read an entire chapter this morning, which is just as much preaching as what I’m going to do later. So sit back and relax as we enter into the good news once again this morning.

Whose fault is it?

This is the question that dominates this story, and our lives so much. If you want to look at the question on a grand scale, whose fault is it that third world countries are so poor? Or, whose fault is it that the entire planet’s climate is changing?
And if you want to look at it on a smaller scale, whose fault is it that our lives didn’t turn out as planned? Or, whose fault is it that our team didn’t win? A question Georgia Bulldog fans pondered almost weekly this past fall. And a question that we pondered daily this past week when Georgia tripped and chipped a tooth this past week. Whose fault is it?
For six years, my dad was the pastor of West Rome United Methodist Church. The church was set up in an “L” shape. The sanctuary faced the main road, and then there was an education building that was longer and perpendicular to the sanctuary. In the space between the road and the education building, there was a pretty sizeable patch of grass, the only piece of field that the church had.
And, because I was the preacher’s kid, and couldn’t drive yet…I always had to be at the church if both my parents were there. So one night, the choir was rehearsing for their Easter contata, and both my parents were there. So some of the other kids that were there and myself went out to that patch of grass. I brought a soccer ball along, because I pretty much brought a soccer ball wherever I went.
We were playing, and we set up goals on the ground. One faced the parking lot, and the other faced the side of the sanctuary. We weren’t kicking it hard, just playing around.
Well I had been working on a move called a “rainbow.” Which is where you flick the ball from the ground in an arc over your head. It’s a completely complicated and pretty useless move, but it looks cool, so I was trying it to impress my friends at church. I had never done one before, only failed in my attempts. I pulled it off in this little game we were playing, and I was so excited that I blasted it toward the goal. It was a good shot, that wasn’t stopped by anybody, and it blasted straight through the window and into the sanctuary.
As you can imagine…my heart sunk.
My dad came storming out of the sanctuary into the yard, looked straight at us and asked, “Whose fault is this?”
I thought he was looking at the group. But as soon as the ball went through the window, the group had disappeared, leaving only me to face my dad. It was my fault I said.
And I will give my dad credit…he didn’t explode at me like I thought he was going to. He just said…then you are going to pay for it to be fixed. He told me how much it was going to cost to fix. $100. It might as well have been a million dollars in my 10 year old mind. I know now that it probably cost a lot more to fix it, but I didn’t know it at the time.
So I did chores and raised the money, which my dad made me put in the offering plate. Teaching me a valuable lesson of taking responsibility for your actions, and what it means to give to the church. That’s when I began tithing, to tell you the truth.
So the disciples and Jesus see a man who is blind, and the disciples ask Jesus. Whose fault is it?
You see its not a new thing that when something happens that we wonder whose fault it is. Is it society’s? Is it parents’? Is it the schools? Is it the church’s? Is it the environment’s? Whose fault is it that this man can’t see?
And you can see from the rest of the story, that the Pharisees are determined to find fault. Its ironic that the Pharisees try really hard to answer the disciples question, but in reverse! Whose fault is it that this man is healed!?
Because while the man is healed, it is a problem. It has to be someone’s fault. Someone has to take blame. Somebody kicked the soccer ball through the window. It doesn’t just break on its own. Somebody is to blame for this man being blind. And someone is to blame for him being able to see. There is a fault line here, and that is what we have to determine.
Who do we blame?
I think if we didn’t have this question at our disposal, we wouldn’t know what to talk about.
Almost every opinion on the news is based on this question. Whose fault is it that the economy slipped today? Whose fault is it that unemployment is rising? Whose fault is it that…and you can fill in your own question.
The Pharisees blame the man, and so in turn blame Jesus. The neighbors blame the man. His parents even blame him. And like anyone who is blamed, everyone tried to get their distance. If someone is going down, they aren’t going to go down with them. It gets really lonely when it is your fault. All of your friends who you thought were there turn out to have run around the building.
So while this entire text is based on whose fault it is…Jesus changes the subject. Its kind of shocking to our system. Its almost to the point where you want to steer Jesus back to the conversation. The disciples ask, whose fault is it? The Pharisees, and the townspeople, and the parents all wonder the same question, and Jesus says; isn’t grace wonderful?
What? No, Jesus, we’re talking about blame here, not grace. Who is to blame?
Isn’t grace wonderful?
Sure it is. Its great. But who is to blame?
I wonder what he will do with his healing?
Are you even listening Jesus? That’s not what we are talking about here…
And gently and firmly Jesus says, almost like when God shows up at the end of the book of Job.
Yes, I hear you my children. And No, that is not what you are talking about…its what I AM talking about, and my words bring life. What you are talking about doesn’t matter anymore, because my grace is greater than fault.

Grace is just so unexpected and undeserved that it defies our logic and categories. Because when we are forgiven by God…we are completely forgiven. There is no, “he’ll never change,” or “we just have to let her go,” or “that’s just how they were raised.” There is no fault left in people when we are forgiven by God. No matter what has been done, or where you are, or what you are actively doing…God can still find you and love you.
Even when there is shame, or embarrassment, God forgives, and gives. That is just who God is. He is not absent from the conversation of judgment…he just changes the subject. From whose fault is it, to who receives the grace of God?
There is an extremely powerful scene in the film “Good Will Hunting” where Matt Damon’s character has had some pretty probing conversation with his psychiatrist and friend Sean Maguire, played by Robin Williams. After talking about the abuse he suffered as a child. Sean says, its not your fault.
“I know” will says rather flippantly.
Will, he says, its not your fault.
“I know” he says, a little annoyed.
“Its not your fault”
“Stop it” will says.
Its not your fault.
Get away from me, he says as he pushes him.
Its not your fault.
And will embraces his friend in tears.
As he says one more time in a whisper…its not your fault.

That my friends, is grace. It is the amazing grace that God gives.
You are forgiven, and called to change. Told to go wash the mud out of your eyes, because God has a calling on your life. It might be to do mission work in this church. It might be to be a wonderful parent or grandparent. It might be to be a teacher and mentor.
Every single one of us is in need of forgiveness, and have been afraid to ask for it. And thank God…that in this scene from John we see that we don’t even need to ask, it is given, and we come to belief and praise God for it.
When the world wants to blame and make people pay the price…Jesus pays the price for us, and loves us. Jesus changes the subject.
So whose fault is it?
Go wash yourself off, and be healed.

After the conversation with the Pharisees is over, the blind man finds Jesus. And confesses his belief.
There is a great line from a new band out there called Mumford and Sons, who are a bluegrass band England. And the line, I think, speaks to this question we ask ourselves and ponder every day. Putting our hearts in the right place, as we prepare for Easter once again and anew in our lives.
When we ask Jesus, whose fault is it?
Jesus answers, “Where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart?”

Let us gather at this table, knowing that we once asked whose fault it was, but are invited to this table with the opportunity to change the subject, and begin again in the peace and truth of Jesus Christ.