Fourth Sunday of Lent – The Blind Man from Birth
Our readings today are all about seeing as God sees, seeing and being the light of Christ to the world.
First reading, God, through Samuel, chooses David to be the anointed King – in the lineage of Jesus Christ. God saw, and showed Samuel…David, who was not even a consideration among his brothers. David wasn’t even brought to the celebration of the sacrifice until God, through Samuel, sent for him. Unless we choose to do so, we do not see as God sees.
Second reading: Paul to Ephesians:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.
A lamp is not lit and then put under a bushel basket. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
Gospel:
The man born blind was in physical darkness from birth. The sight Jesus gave him allowed him to see his savior and profess his faith. But it also allowed the man to see the world for what it is.
When he gained his eyesight, he saw the sinfulness of the pharisees, and even of his parents, both living in their own darkness. He saw their complete refusal to accept this light. The Pharisees insisted that the man deny the very gift of the sight he had been given and renounce the giver. And his parents say “hey, don’t ask us. I mean, yea he’s our son, and he was born blind, but we don’t know anything about this whole healing thing. You’ll have to ask him about that.” Don’t bring that light in here. It’s much more comfortable without it.
And then, when the man assures them that Christ must be from God, they kick him out of the temple. They don’t want to hear that kind of talk. Don’t bring that light in here. It’s much more comfortable without it. (BIG PAUSE)
And then when Jesus seeks out the man and receives his profession of faith, Jesus says these strange words.
“I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”
This is the paradox that the sightless see, and those who think they see are really in the darkness of sin.
If you see by the light of Christ, you have the light of eternal life. If you see by the light of the world – like the pharisees, you are blind to the light of Christ, because you see only the things of the world. We kick Jesus, his followers, and everything to do with His light out of our temples. Because it’s much more comfortable that way.
The song writer got it right when he said: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”
Saint Augustine’s mystical metaphor for this reading:
Jesus’ spittle – his saliva – the word made flesh who proceeds from the father, came down from heaven. His spittle came from the mouth of God.
Therefore, the Lord made clay from spittle and the earth when the Word was made flesh. He anointed the eyes of the blind man – that is, of the human race (like Adam, having been formed from that dust of the ground).
Jesus anointed the eyes of the blind man – that is, of the human race. And the eyes are the eyes of the heart, anointed by faith in the Incarnation of Christ.
But the blind man did not yet see, because the anointing produced a catechumen, who has faith but has not yet been baptized.
So, Jesus sends him to the pool of Siloam to wash and receive his sight, – to be baptized, and in his Baptism to receive full enlightenment.
And Jesus sent him to the pool of Siloam, because Siloam means “Sent”. Because whoever is baptized must be baptized in Christ, who was sent by the Father: “As many of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” and are sent to be the light of Christ to the world.
So, how does all of this translate into something actionable by us, in the fourth week of Lent. Well, we have to open our eyes and to be the light of Christ to the world. At least to those the part of the world we can touch. How do we do that?
Welcome the stranger. That means, if you see someone new in Church, or at a meeting, or at Donut Sunday, go welcome them…into your temple.
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are great ways to walk with Jesus through these 40 days. And maybe that’s what you’re called to. And that is wonderful.
But when you go to your room and pray in private. And then listen to God call to you; only you know, only I know, what He calls us to individually.
He calls us to be the light of Christ to the world. Go and do that thing. We are sent!
Oh, it’s much more comfortable to sit in our individual temples and deny that this light of Christ. Kick it out of our temple.
What we actually do with all of this is what God sees.