Man Up

John 9:18-21

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

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I'm a man
Yes I am
And I can't help
but love you so

"I'm a Man" by Steve Winwood and Jimmy Miller recorded by The Spencer Davis Group

There are times in this life when you got to stand up for what's right. There's all sorts of ways to say it. Living the the West was the first time I ever heard the phrase "Cowboy Up." It's just the more rustic version of the old "Man Up." Well, for the man who was born blind, who would have thought that it was after he received his sight that he would have to man up.

The man in John 9 was born blind. He had to learn to live his life as an outsider. His opportunities were limited, but he had become a Son of the Law, he had his Bar Mitzvah. In the eyes of the temple and in the eyes of the community he was a man, he was responsible for his words, his actions, and his life. As a blind man in a world that honored the unblemished, he had to man up every day to live and make a living. But then he received his sight, and all bets were off.

The Pharisees examined him, men he only knew from their voices if at all. He told them what happened, about how Jesus, a man he has never seen, opened his eyes with dirt, spittle and a washing. The Pharisees would have none of this though, they called his parents to see if he had really been born blind.

His parents didn't want any part of this. If they defended their son, it would be like defending Jesus. This could get them kicked out of the temple which was the center of spiritual and civic life. If they sent their son to the wolves, they would be heartless. They split the baby in half.

Who opened his eyes? “Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” I don't want to sound too hard on the parents, but still, they passed the buck. Ask him, he's a son of the law, he's responsible for himself, ask him.

The man's response was innocent enough, he just told them what happened again and asked the wrong question, “Why do you ask me this stuff? Do you want to be his disciples too?” Well, that ended the party.

Because he manned up, he was rejected by the temple elite. But because he manned up, he finally saw Jesus, and when he did, he saw more than just a man-he saw the man who is God. He saw the man who healed him. He saw the man who didn't abandon him when the temple leadership did.

The formerly blind man says to the Lord and to the world, I'm a man, and I can't help but love the Lord. It's a good place to start for everyone who has been healed of blindness to begin. I can't help but love you so.