March 30, 2014 - 4th Sunday of Lent, Year A
Saint Martin de Tours Catholic Church
While almost all of us can see with our eyes, there is a spiritual
blindness that each of us struggles with.
For most of us, being healed of our spiritual blindness is a gradual
process.
The man born blind is physically healed by Jesus, but more importantly,
he is spiritually healed as well.
Gradually the man gains his spiritual sight and comes to make his
profession of faith: “Lord, I do believe.”
Let's look more carefully at these gospel scenes to try to make some
sense of this enlightenment so that we can grow in our faith as well.
Before we begin with the scenes, we have to understand that Jesus makes it clear from the beginning that sickness and disease is not a punishment by God.
Before we begin with the scenes, we have to understand that Jesus makes it clear from the beginning that sickness and disease is not a punishment by God.
People believed that when bad things happened, they were being punished
by God for their sins.
It's important for us to understand that this is not so. Our sinful
behaviors have consequences, but these consequences are our own doing, not
God's. Neither the blind man nor his parents sinned.
The first scene: the physical healing.
When Jesus spits on the ground to make a paste with his saliva, he is
using the dirt of the earth to finish creation.
Remember God created Adam from the dirt of the earth. Here Jesus is
using the same dirt of the earth to finish creation.
The man is not complete and Jesus gives the blind man his sight.
The second scene: the recognition of the spiritual blindness.
The blind man is healed, but his spiritual blindness remains. The
Pharisees ask him, “Where is this Jesus who healed you?” He answers, “I don't
know.”
But this isn't good enough for the Pharisees. In their arrogance they
are spiritually blind too.
So we move to the third scene where the Pharisees challenge him.
They believe that they are the ones who can judge what comes from God. Jesus
is a threat to them because he does not follow their rules.
“How can a sinful man do these things? He's not from God. What do you
have to say about him?”
The man, who can now see, says, “He is a prophet.”
The Pharisees set up this “us versus them” confrontation.
“What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
The answer, “I already told you. You did not listen.”
This confrontation leads to the beginning of his belief.
The man, who can now see, is forced to take sides.
They ridiculed him. “You are that man's disciple.”
The fourth scene: the man who can now see becomes bold with faith.
“This is so amazing that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened
my eyes. If this man were not from God he would not be able to do anything.”
What’s so amazing is that the Pharisees cannot see the obvious. Their
blindness remains.
The final scene: the spiritual healing and the profession of faith.
Jesus seeks the man out again to finish what he started.
When the man encounters Jesus again his spiritual healing is complete,
“Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.
His spiritual eyes are now open and he sees and believes.
This gospel is about seeing, seeing God at work in the world through his
son Jesus.
Jesus is challenging us to look at our lives to discover our own
blindness, our own tendency to be like the Pharisees.
Jesus helps us, who are spiritually blind, to see God’s creation, of
which we are a part. He opens our eyes.
But for those among us who already think they know God’s plan and
purpose, Jesus’ presence makes them blind.
Let us open our eyes to begin to see the Lord at work in our hearts, in
our lives, in our world, so that we can begin to be healed of our spiritual
blindness.
No comments:
Post a Comment