April 3rd - Reflection

Fourth Sunday in Lent John 9:1-41 (NRSV)
The man born blind

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.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."

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." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."


So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

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 worshiped him. Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment 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.

Reflection
Groupings of three come to mind when I read this Gospel. We have Jesus, the blind man, and the Pharisees. We have all sight both physical and spiritual in Jesus. We have no sight in the blind man, physical and spiritual at first. We have partial site, physical and not spiritual in the Pharisees. Finally we have relationship, both personal and corporate with Jesus. The blind man at first has no relationships, either personal or corporate. The Pharisees have corporate but not personal relationship.

The blind man is the one who accepts all the change in this passage. Jesus is the element of that change for the blind man. And the Pharisees are those that resist the change.

Jesus comes to the blind man and gives him something to do so that he can regain his sight. At first the blind man was regaining physical sight with the seed planted by Jesus for spiritual sight. The blind man takes a chance and takes the steps necessary to gain physical sight. In this chance the blind man regains his sight and has established a personal relationship with Jesus, even though he hasn't seen Jesus, he knows Jesus healed him somehow.

The Pharisees issue was with Jesus. This blind man was a problem to them. Through their study of the law they had a relationship with God and the law through Moses. They were followers of Moses. The Pharisees had a corporate relationship with the "church" but not a personal relationship with God as Jesus could provide. The Pharisees had physical sight but not spiritual sight to see that Jesus was sent from God.

Finally we have Jesus. Jesus with physical and spiritual sight. Jesus with personal and corporate relationships. Jesus shows the blind man the way to all sight and relationship.

Jesus comes to each one of us. Jesus knows each one of us. He knows our every sin. We are in a personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship given through God's action in becoming human in Jesus gives us relationship and sight. Even if we live our life without physical sight, the importance of spiritual site and relationship with God are all that is needed. Physical sight will come in time through God. Healing comes through God some time or another. Sin is dissolved through Jesus and we live in the hope and faith that God loves us so much, both individually and as his Church, that we will be saved.

What a comforting thought. To be without that relationship with God would be death. To live in that relationship both personal and corporate is eternal life! All through the saving acts of Jesus our Savior. Live life as if you are now living your eternal life. Think of all the purpose that God has in store for you in this moment, in this life, in this place. Just think of the relationships you have been given. Live that life of compassion and love and follow the Savior. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I give you thanks for the moment. I give you thanks for coming so close to me. Open my eyes to that spiritual realm and bring me into relationship with those you give to me this day. May they see Jesus in me, my actions and my words. Shine through me this day in love that your will and your way is proclaimed. --- Amen