JOHN'S GOSPEL WAS WRITTEN
ABOUT 80 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF JESUS, WE ARE TOLD. THAT MEANS
THAT THERE WERE THRIVING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN
EMPIRE AND IN MANY OTHER AREAS. IN FACT ONE RELIABLE ESTIMATE IS
THAT BY 100 AD ONE IN EVERY 100 PEOPLE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE WERE
CHRISTIAN – THAT MAKES ABOUT 1 MILLION. WHEN JOHN WROTE HIS
GOSPEL, HE WASN'T TRYING TO DO YET ANOTHER BIOGRAPHY IF JESUS – HE
WAS USING EVENTS FROM JESUS' LIFE TO DEVELOP A THEOLOGY. AND THIS
STORY IS NO EXCEPTION. I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER THE STORY IN MARK WHERE
JESUS HEALED A BLIND MAN BY PUTTING HIS SALIVA ON THE MAN'S EYES. IN
MARK, THE MAN CAN SEE, BUT NOT VERY WELL, SO JESUS REPEATS THE
PROCESS, AND HE CAN SEE PERFECTLY. THIS IS PROBABLY THE SAME STORY,
BUT NOW JOHN, A BISHOP IN SOUTHERN TURKEY, IS TEACHING US SOMETHING.
FIRST OF ALL, HE IS
SHOWING US THAT THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF BLINDNESS – THE APOSTLES
SHOW THE BLINDNESS OF PREJUDICE. IF SOMEONE IS SUFFERING A
MISFORTUNE, SOME PEOPLE ASK, WHAT DID YOU DO TO CAUSE THIS? IN FACT,
SOME PEOPLE EVEN BLAME THEMSELVES WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES. IT'S AS
THOUGH GOD IS JUST WAITING FOR US TO SCREW UP. AND YOU CAN'T BLAME
THE JEWISH PEOPLE FOR THIS ATTITUDE – GOD TOLD MOSES THAT THE SINS
OF THE PARENTS WOULD AFFECT EVEN THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION –
LATER, OF COURSE, EZECHIEL POINTED OUT THAT PUNISHMENT FOR SIN WOULD
ONLY HAPPEN TO THE SINNER; BUT STILL, SOMEBODY MUST HAVE DONE
SOMETHING WRONG IF THIS MAN WAS BORN BLIND, RIGHT?
THEN THERE WERE THE
PEOPLE IN THE TOWN. THEIR BLINDNESS WAS DENIAL. WHEN THEY SAW THE
MAN WHO HAD BEEN BLIND AND NOW WASN'T, ONE EXPLANATION WAS THAT IT
WASN'T THE SAME MAN. I THINK WE HAVE THIS KIND OF BLINDNESS WHEN WE
ARE CALLED TO FORGIVE – WE CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE HAS REALLY CHANGED; OUR FIRST REACTION IS THAT
THEY ARE FAKING IT.
THE PHARISEES HAVE A
PARTICULARLY BAD KIND OF BLINDNESS – MAYBE WE COULD CALL IT
“RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION”. THE MAN WAS HEALED ON THE SABBATH! HE
DOESN'T HAVE ANY CREDENTIALS TO PERFORM HEALING!AND IF THE MAN REALLY
WAS HEALED, WELL, DON'T GIVE CREDIT TO JESUS, GIVE IT TO GOD. I
THINK ALL OF US ARE GUILTY, AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT, OF THIS KIND OF
BLINDNESS. WE TEND TO SEE EVERYTHING AS “US” AND “THEM”. WE
ARE ALWAYS DRAWING LINES. ONE EXAMPLE: WE CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT
OUR CHURCH CONTAINS ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO ACHIEVE
SALVATION; WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES IS TRUE.
THAT MEANS OF COURSE, THAT PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO OTHER RELIGIONS,
OTHER DENOMINATIONS, AUTOMATICALLY LACK SOMETHING, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S
THE FALLACY – WE CAN BELIEVE WHAT WE HAVE IS TRUE AND GOOD AND
GIVEN BY GOD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY JUDGMENT ABOUT ANOTHER
RELIGION – ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LIVE OUR OWN FAITH AS WELL AS
POSSIBLE. EVEN THE POPE CAN'T TELL THE HOLY SPIRIT WHERE TO GO AND
WHERE NOT TO GO. HAD THE PHARISEES NOT BEEN BLIND, THEY WOULD HAVE
REJOICED THAT GOD WAS MANIFESTING HIMSELF IN THEIR MIDST.
AND FINALLY, THE PARENTS.
THEY ARE BLIND BECAUSE OF COWARDICE, OF SELFISHNESS. IF MY CHILD
HAD BEEN BLIND FROM BIRTH, AND WAS SUDDENLY HEALED, I WOULD BE
ECSTATIC. BUT THESE PARENTS ARE AFRAID THEY WILL BE KICKED OUT OF
THE SYNAGOGUE. THE MOST THEY CAN MUSTER IS THAT THE MAN IS THEIR SON
AND, YES, HE WAS BLIND FROM BIRTH – BUT GO ASK HIM, LEAVE US ALONE.
WHEN WE MEET PEOPLE WHO SNEER AT OUR CHURCH OR ACCUSE OUR PRIESTS
AND BISHOPS OF TERRIBLE THINGS, DO WE TRY TO LAY LOW SO THAT WE ARE
NOT KICKED OUT OF THE GROUP? ARE WE PROUD OF OUR CATHOLICISM, OR
WOULD WE RATHER THAT NO ONE NOTICES? HOW MANY PEOPLE GO HOME AFTER
RECEIVING ASHES ON ASH WEDNESDAY AND WASH THEIR FACES BEFORE GOING
OUT INTO THE WORLD?
JOHN WANTS THE BLIND MAN
TO TEACH US A LESSON AS WELL. FIRST, THE BLINDNESS CANNOT BE CURED
BYH ANYTHING PEOPLE CAN DO – THIS REQUIRES GOD'S TOUCH. IT'S LIKE
WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED – IT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BEGIN THE
JOURNEY TO GOD. THAT ISN'T TO SAY THAT GOD DOESN'T HAVE OTHER WAYS
TO HELP PEOPLE BEGIN THIS JOURNEY, BUT THE INITIATIVE IS GOD'S, NOT
OUR OWN. AT THIS STAGE, THE MAN BORN BLIND IS ONLY AWARE THAT HIS
SIGHT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM, AND A MAN NAMED JESUS DID IT.
THE MAN IS FORCED TO
THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BY THE PHARISEES – IF THIS HAPPENED WHAT
DO YOU HAVE TO SAY? HE REPLIES, “HE IS A PROPHET”.
THE PHARISEES ARGUE WITH
HIM AGAIN. THE MAN STICKS TO WHAT HE KNOWS TO BE TRUE – HE WAS
BLIND BUT NOW CAN SEE; AND GOD WOULDN'T WORK A MIRACLE FOR SOMEONE
STEEPED IN SIN. THE ONLY CONCLUSION THE BLIND MAN CAN REACH IS THAT
THIS JESUS IS FROM GOD. NOTICE THAT THE BLIND MAN KEEPS GOING BACK
TO THE FACTS – IN LIGHT OF REALITY, HE CAN'T BE PREJUDICED; HE
CAN'T BE IN DENIAL; HE CAN'T FALL BACK ON RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION; AND
HE REFUSES TO BE INTIMIDATED INTO DENYING ANY PART OF WHAT HAPPENED
TO HIM. AND HE IS EXPELLED FROM THE SYNAGOGUE, WHICH IS A PRETTY BAD
THING IF YOU LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN WHERE THE SYNAGOGUE IS THE CENTER
OF VILLAGE LIFE.
THERE IS ONE FURTHER
STEP, IN THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF THIS MAN. GOD STARTS THE PROCESS,
AND THE MAN RECOGNIZES THAT JESUS DID IT; AND AS HE THINKS ABOUT IT,
HE CONCLUDES JESUS IS A PROPHET, AND THEN THAT HE WAS SENT FROM GOD.
BUT THE LAST STEP, THE RECOGNITION THAT JESUS IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP,
AND THEREFORE THAT HE IS GOD, IS A GIFT FROM JESUS – A GIFT THE
BLIND MAN ACCEPTS AND ACTS UPON – HE FALLS DOWN AND WORSHIPS. JOHN
IS TELLING US THAT IN THE BEGINNING GOD INITIATES OUR JOURNEY TO
BECOME ONE WITH HIM; AND IF WE ARE FAITHFUL, IF WE CLING TO THE
TRUTH, THAT JESUS CAME INTO THIS WORLD TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR US, AND
TO RISE AGAIN SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, JESUS HIMSELF WILL
BRING US TO THAT FINAL STEP, WHEN WE SEE HIM CLEARLY AS LORD, SAVIOR
AND MESSIAH. THAT'S WHAT IS MEANT BY CLINGING TO ONE'S FAITH.
SO ON THIS FOURTH SUNDAY
OF LENT, LET US LOOK AT HOW WE ARE BLIND – BECAUSE WE ARE. AND LET
US ASK JESUS TO HEAL OUR BLINDNESS AND LEAD US TO THAT POINT WHERE WE
REALIZE, NOT JUST WITH WORDS, BUT WITH OUR WHOLE BEING, THAT HE IS
GOD AND HE IS THE ONLY REALITY THAT MATTERS.
