The Driven Out

John 9.35-41

           In the early Christian church, the rule was one of inclusiveness and embracing differences. Originally, Jesus came to save the Jewish people but soon he embraced the most radical of positions. Jesus' saving grace, friendship and love was open to women, lepers, Samaritans, Roman soldiers (excuse me 'gay' Roman Centurions) and almost anyone that expressed faith or a willingness to listen. So it was in that early church that salvation was opened (through Paul) to not just the Jews but to the gentiles and the uncircumcised. How radical when Jesus actually proclaimed he came for the Jews. But Jesus' love and actions could not be contained as the Fathers love cannot be contained.

             In today's passage it begins with a cured blind man having been "driven out" of the temple and presumably the community by the Jewish leaders. Those leaders are taking up the role of judges as to who and what is holy, who can receive salvation and ultimately trying to puts mans rules (their own rules) onto God himself. That's crazy talk.

              How can any one judge and how can anyone rightfully drive out anyone that God so eagerly embraces? God embraces us all.  When I 'came out' I began to Google "inclusive churches' because my faith is that important to me. It seems ridiculous now that such a word would be a clarifier for any Christian church, for any church, synagogue, temple or mosque of God. In contrast to man's rules about God, when could you ever imagine a Father (God) turning his back on his child, any child?  What of the example of the prodigal son? 

           At the end of our days it is only God who can judge. As it stands, God embraces everyone and everything unto himself/herself. God is all, God is love. 

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.