August 26, 2016–Devotions from Rio Olympics
Tennis

“As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’” John 9:1-11

Back and forth and back and forth, so goes the tennis ball when professionals are playing the game of tennis. I was listening to the radio the other day, and a man was talking about a book he had just written. The book describes his experience of growing up in another country and participating in the youth tennis development program in that country. He talked about spending three to six hours every day playing tennis. He talked about how many of the youth in these programs often burn out and drop out in their teens because tennis no longer is something they love – it becomes their job. But listening to his description of the tennis development programs in this and in other countries, it opened my eyes to the reality of how difficult it is to become a professional in any sport – even one that can seem so monotonous as tennis.

When you listen to the disciples ask their initial question to Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” – you can hear how common place it was for the people of the first century to believe that a disability was directly a result of someone’s sin. And then the sparring began — back and forth went the accusations, and the questions — between the man born blind, his family and the Pharisees. How difficult it was for the Pharisees and the others to imagine that Jesus might heal a man born blind. How is that possible? This man, steeped in sin, is healed, meaning also that he is forgiven: how can that be? It can only happen through Jesus, the one who understands our sin, but also understands the true nature of Grace. No one deserves Grace – but everyone is eligible for Grace – the only person who decides is Jesus. No matter what we do, no matter how much we argue, it is Jesus who decides – all we can do is accept the gracious nature of his Grace.

Pastor Dave