Forth Sunday of Lent
In the story of the man born blind, we see a number of people reacting negatively to a miracle of healing. We might wonder why no one sees what Jesus is doing. But our own reactions to the wonders of God's world can be similarly obscured. Our faith calls us to learn to see the wholeness that God sees.
Many people have laser eye surgery to correct vision and reverse conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma. It's become quite commonplace. I even heard of a woman who took her young dog to the vet because he was having trouble seeing. The vet asked her about bringing the dog to an ophthalmologist. She had no idea such a specialty existed, but before long the dog was having a laser procedure to relieve the pain of glaucoma, and his sight returned. The advantages in medical technology continue to improve the quality of life for people and even their pets, but we rarely regard these advances as miracle.
Visual sight is a powerful metaphor for our attitudes towards the world around us and the people who come into our lives every day. Although our medical technology is far advanced from the time of Jesus, our spiritual blindness hasn't always changed.
In our first reading for today we hear of the anointing of David as Israel's first king, Samuel is ready to anoint one of the handsome and powerful sons of Jesse. He never suspects that God's anointed would be the youngest, the least, the shepherd boy from the hills. God tells him he's judging according to human, not divine, standards. Too often we prefer good looks, celebrity, and power to humility, virtue, and care for the common good when we're choosing our leaders. Our media-driven world has made us far too reliant on the superficial and the sensational.
In the Gospel for today, few people recognize the healing that's at the center of the story. Jesus heals because life and healing are his very nature. The man who is healed moves from physical to spiritual sight. But nearly everyone else misses the point.
The disciples are puzzling over the sin that must be at the heart of the man's blindness. The religious leaders see only a threat to their power and status quo. Even the man's parents prefer to disown their son rather than risk trouble with the authorities.
We can get so get so caught up in our own priorities, our anxieties, and our various ideologies that we miss the wonder of the world around us: the loved ones in our lives, the glories of the changing seasons and the natural world, the goodness and kindness that people show to one another on a daily basis. Blind to these things, we see only the darkness and the negativity conjured up by our fears.
God sees healing, wholeness, and life. God dwells in the divine light and shares that light with all of us. What will it take for us to open our eyes to this reality? As we move through the end of the Lenten season into Holy Week and Easter, we might heed the words of St. Paul when he says, "Live as children of the light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth."
We should spend today looking for signs of God's love and mercy in the people we meet, in the natural world, and, yes, even in the daily news. Goodness is there if we open our eyes to it.
As we approach the Eucharist today, we are reminded that our eyes see bread and wine, but our faith knows the Body & Blood of our Lord. May our participation in this miracle open our eyes to God's presence in the world.
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