Muddy Eyes: God Sees, We Tell Our Story

Jesus notices and acts where others overlook. The Gospel reading from John 9 unfolds as a public drama of sight and scandal: Jesus encounters a man blind from birth, heals him with spittle and mud, and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Neighbors, friends, and religious leaders rush to categorize, doubt, and finally expel the man rather than reckon with the disruption his healing exposes. The man’s testimony grows from a simple factual account to a confession of faith; what begins as physical sight becomes spiritual insight and worship.

The narrative exposes common human habits: quick judgment, storytelling about others, and the eagerness to remove inconvenient witnesses. Those closest to the healed man insist on their preferred story—denial, suspicion, and theological accusation—until Jesus returns and invites the man into personal encounter and belief. That encounter reframes identity: the man moves from “beggar” and “sinner” as others name him to one who recognizes and worships the Son of Man.

The reading connects that radical seeing to God’s practice. God sees the overlooked and reaches into human mess—literally with mud—to transform perception. The muddy healing symbolizes a reorientation of vision so that people begin to see as God sees: not reduced to labels, but known, loved, and invited into relationship. The text presses for a response: tell one’s own story from the new vantage of being seen and healed, and grant others the dignity of telling their stories as God knows them.

Worship life frames this theme. The community acknowledges land, confesses sin, receives assurance, and gathers at an open table where all belong. Communion and prayer function as further enactments of the same theology: God draws near to the marginalized, creates sight, and calls people into mutual care. The final blessing sends the gathered to live with “muddy eyes”—to practice holy seeing, tell truthful stories about one another, and share God’s reconciling love in daily life.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God sees the overlooked first God’s attention falls on those others ignore, initiating action rather than accusation. That seeing always precedes a summons: to be healed, to be named, and to be invited into relationship. Expect God’s initiative in the margins and allow that divine gaze to reorder presumed social hierarchies. [39:36]
• 2. Resist others’ imposed narratives People rush to categorize and silence inconvenient lives to preserve comfort and control. Refuse to accept narratives assigned by neighbors, institutions, or reputation; insist on the concrete events of encounter with Christ as the basis for identity. Holding to personal testimony becomes an act of spiritual integrity and liberation. [45:22]
• 3. Faith grows from encounter Belief emerges not from abstract debate but from sustained, personal encounter with the risen one. Movement from curiosity to worship traces a path: seeing, testimony, questioning, revelation, and finally confession. Cultivate spaces where questions can lead to revelation rather than condemnation. [48:13]
• 4. Live with “muddy” vision The image of Jesus’ mud on the eyes names a sacramental distortion that heals: vision altered by grace sees people as God does. Adopt practices—prayer, hospitality, testimony—that recalibrate perception toward mercy and inclusion. Such messy holiness reshapes how stories get told and how communities act. [50:35]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [08:48] - Announcements and Mardi Gras details
• [09:12] - Courtyard gathering and palms burning
• [09:58] - Ashes to go explained
• [10:30] - Pastoral intern listening session
• [11:09] - Healing prayer during communion
• [16:40] - Land acknowledgment
• [19:52] - Centering music and preparation
• [20:11] - Confession and absolution
• [24:56] - John 9 reading begins (readers’ theater)
• [39:36] - Jesus notices the blind man
• [44:39] - Community reactions and accusations
• [48:13] - The man’s confession: “I believe”
• [50:35] - Muddy hands imagery and application
• [64:24] - Communion invitation and words of grace
• [74:45] - Blessing, send-off, and closing remarks

1. In John 9:1-2, what was the disciples' immediate assumption when they saw the man blind from birth, and how did Jesus redirect their focus?
2. What were the different reactions from the neighbors, the Pharisees, and the man's own parents after he was healed? (John 9:8-23)
3. How did the man's description of Jesus evolve throughout the chapter, from his first answer in verse 11 to his final confession in verse 38?
4. What specific, physical action did Jesus use to heal the man, and where did he tell him to go? (John 9:6-7)

1. Why do people, like the neighbors and religious leaders in the story, often rush to categorize others and impose their own narratives on them, especially when someone's life is transformed? [41:23]
2. The man born blind states, "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). What is the power of holding onto your personal testimony when others doubt or challenge your experience?
3. Jesus said he came "that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind" (John 9:39). What does it mean for someone who claims to 'see' (to have it all figured out) to actually be blind to God's work?
4. How does Jesus' act of making mud with his saliva and applying it to the man's eyes symbolize God's willingness to get involved in the messy, physical realities of human life to bring about healing and new sight? [50:35]

1. When was a time someone tried to put you in a box, define you by your past, or tell a story about you that wasn't true? [44:02] How can the truth that God sees and knows you personally help you resist those false narratives?
2. The man’s faith grew through repeated questioning and challenge. What is one area of your faith or a recent experience with God that you feel you could articulate more clearly if someone asked you about it?
3. Jesus noticed the man whom others overlooked. Who are the people in your daily circles (work, neighborhood, school) that are often overlooked or easily categorized? What is one practical way you can "see" them this week as God sees them?
4. Living with "muddy eyes" means seeing others with the grace and compassion Jesus showed. Is there someone you struggle to see in a positive light? What would it look like to ask God to reshape your vision of that person?
5. The religious leaders were more concerned with rules and their own authority than with the miracle of healing right in front of them. In what ways can our own traditions or comfort sometimes blind us to the new and surprising ways God might be working today?
6. The man’s story was simple: "I was blind, now I see." What is your story of encountering Jesus? How can you share that story with someone this week in a simple, authentic way?