4th Sunday of Lent 2023
1 Sam 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13; Ephesians 5: 8-14; John 9: 1-41.
For the second of three Sundays, we have a long reading from St. John’s Gospel, which deserves to be considered in full. Please read the whole passage, not the abbreviated version, paying close attention to it.
“Right seeing” is at the heart of all today’s readings. God sees the hearts of Jesse’s sons as He chooses David to be king; the Letter to the Ephesians tells Christians that we are “light in the Lord”, while the cure of the man born blind exposes the blindness, or rather the “false seeing”, of the Pharisees.
From the Gospel:
“I am the light of the world”. Remember that, elsewhere, Jesus tells the disciples that they are the light of the world. We must focus on the light which is Jesus, in order to reflect His light, and in order that we can see aright.
The man born blind is a gloriously down to earth character, an Israelite without guile, who answers all questions on the basis of his experience. Thus he tells the Pharisees “He is a prophet”.
“His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews.” In John’s Gospel, “the Jews” is shorthand for Jesus’ opponents. Remember that everyone, including Jesus, on both sides of the argument, is a Jew. Tragically, John’s use of this shorthand has encouraged anti-Semitism, which has no place in Christian belief or practice.
“I don’t know if He is a sinner. I only know that I was blind, and now I can see.” This matter-of-fact response shows that the man is on his way to seeing the truth.
“Do you want to become His disciples too?” This response strikes me as beautifully cheeky.
“Now here is an astonishing thing.” The man, who is beginning to see aright, begins to instruct the Pharisees, but they remain wilfully obtuse.
“The man said ‘Lord, I believe,’ and worshipped Him. He has now been led to full sight.
“Since you say ‘we see’, your guilt remains.” There are more ways than one of being blind. Are we ever guilty of wilful blindness?
