Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: April 3, 2011

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**6-7. **This cure is done in two stages–Jesus’ action on the eyes of the blind man, and the man being told to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Our Lord also used saliva to cure a man who was deaf and dumb (cf. Mark 7:33) and another blind man (cf. Mark 8:23). The pool of Siloam was a reservoir built by King Hezekiah in the seventh century B.C., to supply Jerusalem with water (cf. Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30); the prophets regarded these waters as a sign of divine favor (cf. Isaiah 8:6; 22:11). St. John, using the broader etymology of the word Siloam, applies it to Jesus who is the “One sent” by the Father. Our Lord works through the medium of matter to produce effects which exceed anything matter can do. Something similar will occur with the Sacraments: through His word He will confer on material media the power of spiritually regenerating man.

Our Lord’s instruction to the blind man is reminiscent of the miracle of Naaman, the Syrian general who was cured of leprosy when, on the instruction of the prophet Elisha, he washed seven times in the waters of the Jordan (cf. 2 Kings 5:1ff). Naaman had hesitated before obeying; whereas the blind man obeys promptly without asking questions or raising objections.

“What an example of firm faith the blind man gives us! A living, operative faith. Do you behave like this when God commands, when so often you cannot see, when your soul is worried and the light is gone? What power could the water possibly contain that when the blind man’s eyes were moistened with it they were cured? Surely some mysterious eye salve, or a precious medicine made up in the laboratory of some wise alchemist, would have done better? But the man believed; he acted upon the command of God, and he returned with eyes full of light” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 193).
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8-34**. After recounting the miracle, the Evangelist reports the doubts of the man’s friends and neighbors (verses 8-12) and inquiry made by the Pharisees: they question the man (verses 13-17), his parents (verses 18-23), and then the man again, whom they end up condemning and expelling from their presence (verses 24-34). This passage is so full of detail that it looks like an eyewitness account.

The Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen this miracle as symbolizing the Sacrament of Baptism in which, through the medium of water, the soul is cleansed and receives the light of faith: “He sent the man to the pool called the pool of Siloam, to be cleansed and to be enlightened, that is, to be baptized and receive in Baptism full enlightenment” (St. Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on St. John, in loc.”).

This episode also reflects the different attitudes of people to our Lord and His miracles. The blind man, a straightforward person, believes in Jesus as envoy, prophet (verses 17, 33) and Son of God (verses 17, 33, 38); whereas the Pharisees persist in not wanting to see or believe, despite the clear evidence before them (verses 24-34).

In this miracle Jesus once again reveals Himself as the light of the world. This bears out the statement in the prologue: “The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world” (1-9). Not only does He give light to the eyes of the blind man: He enlightens his soul, leading him to make an act of faith in His divinity (verse 38). At the same time we can see the obvious drama of those whose blindness darkens their minds, as our Lord said in His dialogue with Nicodemus: “The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Continued on the next post…

 

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14-16.** The Pharisees bring up the same accusation as they did when the paralyzed man was cured beside the pool (John 5:10) and as on other occasions Jesus has broken the Law because He cures the sick on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 13:16; 14:5, etc.). Christ had often taught that observance of the law of Sabbath rest (cf. Exodus 20:8, 11; 21:13;
Deuteronomy 5:14) was compatible with the duty to do good (cf. Matthew 12:3-8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). Charity, the good of others, takes precedence over all the other commandments (cf. note on Matthew 12:3-8). If rules are given precedence in a blind sort of way over the inescapable obligations of justice and charity, the result is fanaticism, which always goes against the Gospel and even against right reason–as happens in this instance with the Pharisees. Their minds are so closed that they do not want to see God’s hand in something which simply could not be done without divine power. The dilemma they pose themselves–is He a man of God, as His miracles imply; or a sinner, because He does not keep the Sabbath (cf. Mark 3:23-30)?–can only arise in people whose outlook is that of religious fanatics. Their mistaken interpretation of how certain precepts should be kept leads them to forget the essence of the Law–love of God and love of neighbor.

To avoid accepting Jesus’ divinity, the Pharisees reject the only possible correct interpretation of the miracle; whereas the blind man–like all unprejudiced people open to the truth–finds solid grounds in the miracle for confessing that Christ works through the power of God (John 9:33): “He supported and confirmed His preaching by miracles to arouse faith of His hearers and give them assurance, but not to coerce them” (Vatican II, “Dignitatis Humanae”, 11).
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24.** “Give God the praise”: a solemn declaration, like an oath, exhorting a person to tell the truth. But the Pharisees are not looking for the truth: they want to intimidate the man to get him to withdraw his statement. They try to pressurize him by warning him: “We know this Man is a sinner”. St. Augustine comments: “What do they mean, Give God the praise? They mean, deny what you have received. Clearly, this is not to give God the praise, but rather to blaspheme against God” (“In Ioann. Evang.”, 44,11).

Concluded on the next post…

 

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**25-34. **This interrogation shows that the miracle was so patent that not even His enemies could deny it. Our Lord worked many miracles during His public ministry, showing that He had complete power over everything, in other words that He was divine.

Rationalism, basing itself on an erroneous philosophical principle, refuses to accept that God can intervene in a supernatural way in this world; it therefore denies the possibility of miracles: but the Church has always taught that miracles do happen and that they serve a purpose: "If any one shall say that miracles are impossible, and therefore all the accounts regarding them, even those contained in Holy Scripture, are to be dismissed as fabulous or mythical; or that miracles can never be known with certainty, and that the divine origin of Christianity cannot be proved by them–let him be “anathema” (Vatican I, “Dei Filius”, Chapter 3, and Canon 4).
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29. **Everyone saw the miracle, but the Pharisees are so stubborn that they will not accept the significance of the event, not even after questioning the man himself and his parents. “The sin of the Pharisees did not consist in not seeing God in Christ, but in voluntarily shutting themselves up within themselves, in not letting Jesus, who is the light, open their eyes” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 71).

As this episode proceeds, the faith of the man himself deepens. He begins by recognizing Jesus as a prophet (verse 17) and he ends up acknowledging His divinity (verse 35); whereas over the same course of events the authorities become more and more obstinate–moving from doubt (verse 16), through the blasphemous assertion that Jesus is a sinner, to eventually expelling the beggar (verse 34)–a useful warning about the danger of pride which can blind one to the obvious.

**34. **After the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.), a Jewish custom developed of expelling from the synagogue those who had committed certain crimes. This took two forms–temporary expulsion for thirty days as a disciplinary measure, and permanent expulsion, which later was often imposed on Jews who became Christians. What is being referred to here is probably permanent expulsion, which was what was planned (verse 22) and which is noted elsewhere in the Gospels (cf. 12:42; 16:2; Luke 6:22).

**35-38. **This does not seem to have been an accidental meeting. The Pharisees have cast the man out of the synagogue; our Lord not only receives him but helps him make an act of faith in His divinity: “Now with the face of his heart washed and with his conscience cleansed, he acknowledges Him to be not only the Son of Man but Son of God” (St. Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 44, 15). This dialogue reminds us of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman (cf. John 4:26).

**39. **This judgment which our Lord pronounces follows on the act of faith of the man who has been cured, and the persistent obstinacy of the Pharisees. He has not come to condemn the world but to save it (cf. John 3:17), but His presence among us already involves a judgment, because each of us has to take a stand on whether to reject or accept Jesus. Christ’s coming implies the fall of some and the salvation of others (cf. Luke 2:34). In this sense, we will fall into one of two categories (cf. John 3:18-21; 12:47-48): on the one hand, the humble of heart (cf. Matthew 11:25), who recognize their failings and who go to Jesus in search of forgiveness (these will receive the light He is speaking of); on the other hand, those who are satisfied with themselves and think that they do not need Christ or His word (they say they see but they are blind). Thus we ourselves decide our ultimate fate, depending on whether we accept or reject Jesus.

**40-41. **Jesus’ words sting the Pharisees, who are always looking to catch Him out in something He says. They realize that He is referring to them and they ask Him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus’ answer is quite clear: they can see but they do not want to: therefore they are unworthy. “If you realized you were blind, if you admitted you were blind and ran to the physician, you would have no sin, for I have come to take away sin; but because you say that you can see, you remain in your blindness” (St. Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 45, 17).

http://i2.squidoocdn.com/resize/squ...4852photo_1247230224jesus-heals-blind-man.jpg

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary (the Douay-Rheims text can be found here):

**Ver. 2. **When Christ healed the paralytic, he dismissed him with this injunction: Behold thou art made whole; now sin no more. From this the disciples concluded, that his infirmity was sent him in punishment of former sins. When, therefore, they saw this man afflicted with blindness, they inquired of their divine Master, whether it was on account of his or his parents’ sin. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. lv. in Joan.)

**Ver. 3. **When Christ says that neither he nor his parents had sinned, we must not understand that he was born without original sin, nor even that he had not committed other sins. For both he and his parents had sinned; but the meaning is, that this blindness was not a penal blindness inflicted in punishment of any sin either himself or his parents had committed; but, as is afterwards subjoined, it was sent him for the manifestation of the glory of God. (St. Augustine, tract. xliv. in Joan.)

Ver. 4. Whilst it is day. That is, during all the time of this mortal life; the night comes, that is, death. (Witham) — He speaks of that night of which mention is made is St. Matthew chap. xxii. Cast him into exterior darkness. This is a night in which none can work, but only receive the reward of their labours. If you wish to work, work now whilst you live; for beyond the grave there is neither faith, nor labour, nor repentance. (St. Chrysostom, as above.)

**Ver. 5. **Thus the day of which I am to avail myself is the time of my mortal life; and the night which is to follow this, is that of my death. (Bible de Vence)

Ver. 6. He spat on the ground. With clay and spittle he cured the blind man, to make the miracle more visible. (Witham) — From the example of Jesus Christ, religious ceremonies are introduced in the administration of the sacraments; and can the Church be blamed for copying her divine Founder? (Haydock)

**Ver. 7. **The fountain of Siloe was at the foot of the walls of Jerusalem, to the east, where its waters were collected in a reservoir for the benefit of the city. Thither our Saviour sent the blind man. The word Siloe signifies sent, and was a figure of Christ, who was sent by his eternal Father into the world to enlighten all men, of whom this blind man was the emblem. The pool of Siloe represents the sacrament of baptism, by which we are sanctified and made Christians. It is still to this day held in great veneration by the Turks, who think its waters very beneficial in diseases of the eyes. (Calmet) — Its waters signify those of divine grace and light, communicated to the faithful soul through Jesus Christ, who was sent of God. (Bible de Vence)

Ver. 17. The Hebrews gave the name of prophet to all those who were honoured by the Almighty in a particular manner. And it was a maxim amongst them, that a prophet could dispense with the law of the sabbath. (Calmet) — Do you wish to know what he believed Jesus to be? asks St. Augustine. And falling down, he adored him. Before, he regarded him as a holy man, as a prophet; but he did not adore him until he understood him to be the Son of God; whereas no sooner did he know this, than, falling down, he paid him that sovereign worship which is due to God alone. (Calmet)
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Ver. 22. The Jews had already agreed, or combined together, that if any one owned him for the Messias, he should be turned out of their synagogues, as a person excommunicated. (Witham)
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Ver. 24. Give glory to God, before whom thou art speaking, and tell us the truth. It could not be this man who cured thee; for we know he is a sinner, who seduceth the people. (Bible de Vence) — So say our separated brethren, when they derogate from miracles done by saints, pharisaically pretending the glory of God, as if it were not God’s glory when his servants act by his power and virtue. Witness Peter’s shadow, (Acts v.) and Paul’s handkerchiefs that cured diseases, and expelled wicked spirits. (Acts xix. 11, 12.)

Concluded on the next post…

 

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Ver. 27. I have told you already, and you have heard. In almost all Greek manuscripts we now read, and you have not heard. Beza, with good reason, here prefers the Latin Vulgate, as more correct than the Greek. (Witham)

**Ver. 28. **They reviled him with scornful and disdainful language. (Witham)

Ver. 31. God doth not hear sinners. That is, in so particular a manner, as to work miracles in favour of them and their doctrine. (Witham)

Ver. 32. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard. Though we read of many miracles done by Moses and the prophets, this, saith he, is the first example of any man receiving his sight who had been born blind. (Witham)

Ver. 39. For judgment I am come into this world. Christ said (chap. iii. 17.) that God did not send his Son to judge the world: the same he repeats; (John xii. 47.) nor is this contradictory to those words: the meaning here is not that he is come to exercise the office of a judge, but he tells them what will be the consequences of his coming, and their refusing to believe in him, that they shall be justly punished with the greatest severity for their wilful blindness. (Witham) — Jesus Christ came into the world that the pagans, who were yet in darkness, might receive light, and that the Jews, who enjoyed the light, might fall into darkness. The Jews were thus condemned, on account of their presumption and hardness of heart, and grace was granted to the Gentiles to enter into the true Church. These are the designs of the Almighty upon mankind, some of whom remain in infidelity, whilst others receive the light of faith; but all is done by the secret and impenetrable decrees of the justice and wisdom of God. The Holy Ghost, by these words, tells us only what was to be the event, not what was the cause of these things. We must seek for the cause of them in the malice of the heart of man, and in the depth of the judgments of God. (Calmet) —* I am come, &c*. Not that Christ came for that end, that any one should be made blind; but that the Jews, by the abuse of his coming, and by their not receiving him, brought upon themselves this judgment of blindness. (Challoner)

**Ver. 40-41. ***The Pharisees then replied: and are we also blind? *Jesus said to them: if you were blind, by ignorance in not having heard of me, and my doctrine, you might be excused for not believing; but now saying, we see: and having been yourselves in the occasions and opportunities of seeing, your sin remaineth, and you in your sins. (Witham) — If you were blind, &c. If you were invincibly ignorant, and had neither read the Scriptures, nor seen my miracles, you would not be guilty of the sin of infidelity: but now, as you boast of your knowledge of the Scriptures, you are inexcusable. (Challoner) — If you had humility enough to acknowledge your blindness and ignorance, and seriously to seek for a remedy, you would soon be delivered from sin, and freed from the evil of blindness. But filled as you are with presumption, you remain still in blindness, which, as it is voluntary, is at the same time criminal and inexcusable. This is your evil; this your sin. (Calmet) — We here see that it is judged by truth itself far better not to read the Scriptures at all, than to read them with bad dispositions; not to see the miracles of Jesus Christ, than to refuse our assent to their author. At the present day all read the Scriptures, but do we see any marked improvement in the moral world? The text, without any comment, is given to Churchmen and to Dissenters: the latter gladly accept the offering, because, as the Rev. Frederick Noland observes, (in his objections of a Churchman to uniting with the Bible society, p. 34) “the authorized version is in many places accommodated to their peculiar opinions, through the conciliatory spirit of the Church, which revised the text for the purpose of doing their objections away.” And in his note on this part, he adds: “The last revisal of the translation of the Bible was undertaken, as is notorious, for the purpose of removing certain objections made to the old version by the non-conformists. That the execution has been answerable to the intent, is evident from the fact of the Dissenters having withdrawn their exceptions, and adopted the version. Comp. Nichols. Defens. Eccles. Anglic. p. 33. Pierre. Vindic. Fratr. Dissent. p. 60-67.” Thus (Acts xiv. 23.) “cheirotonesantes de autois presbuterous kat ekklesian. When they had ordained them elders by election, in every church. (Bp’s Bible.) When they had ordained them elders in every church. (Authors. vers.) These words, as applied to St. Paul and St. Barnabas, who had merely received first orders, (Acts xiii. 2.) form in the former version an argument against presbyters’ right to ordain, and in the latter one in favour of that practice.” As a further accommodation, he says the word elders was substituted for presbyters, &c. “Independency in the very nature of it is schism; for every congregation is a different church.” (Sherl. Def. of Stillingfl.)

 

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Other thoughts and commentary on the Gospel Reading:

**1 As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth.

2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”: **It was a firm Jewish belief that every affliction was a punishment for sin, and that the sins of the parents could be punished in their offspring (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9). The disciples did not necessarily think that the man might have sinned before birth B in the foreknowledge of God, the punishment might have been inflicted for a sin that was to follow. This was their reasoning in asking the question.
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3 Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him: **Divine providence has determined that this man is to serve as the occasion of a work of God.

**4 We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day: **Jesus now identifies the part He plays in fulfilling the divine purposes. In performing God’s work in respect to this man, He will be offering a divine light. The “we” reminds us all that we also have the duty to do the works of God.

**Night is coming when no one can work: **Light is opposed to spiritual darkness.

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.": This is another example of the “I am”(Yahweh) theme used by John and others. In John 8:12 (during the Feast of Tabernacles) Jesus spoke the same words. Like the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites by night, Jesus guides us through spiritual darkness. There is always a link between the words and works of Jesus.
**
6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva: **Spittle was commonly believed to have medicinal properties. The clay is reminiscent of the creation by God of the first man, Adam, in Genesis. The use of matter in a spiritual context is, on the other hand, looking forward to the Sacraments. Making clay was also considered “work” and was thus forbidden on the Sabbath.
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and smeared the clay on his eyes: **Literally, “anointed the clay on his eyes”. Anointing, and any kind of healing, was also forbidden on the Sabbath.
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7 and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent): **This was, perhaps, a test of faith (see 2 Kings 5:10-14). The pool at the southern extremity of Jerusalem from which water was brought for the libations of the Feast of Tabernacles.
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So he went and washed, and came back able to see: **The essence of the sign for John is not simply that sight has ben restored, but light is given to one who never had it.

**8 His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”

9 Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.”

10 So they said to him, “(So) how were your eyes opened?”

11 He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.”:** This is a symbol of baptism and spiritual enlightenment. In the early Church, baptism was called “enlightenment.” As is so often the case, the words and deeds of Jesus cause immediate dissension. Siloam means “sent” and Jesus was sent by the Father.
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12 And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

13 They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees:** The Pharisees are the arbiters of what is religiously proper, the dissension is communicated to them. Their complaint is against Jesus’ technical violation of the Sabbath.
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14 Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.

15 So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”

16 So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” (But) others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”:** Recognition of who Jesus really is, is coming to the man born blind. When first asked, he had replied simply “that man they call Jesus” (v11). Now, he calls Him a prophet.

Continued on the next post…

 

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**18 Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.

19 They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?”

20 His parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

21 We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for him self.":** The Jews had summoned the man’s parents to verify that he had indeed been born blind. While affirming the undeniable, the parents refuse to commit themselves concerning his present state for the reason given in the next two verses.

**22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue.

23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”: **When John states that confession of Christ was punished by excommunication from the synagogue he may well be accommodating the language to the situation of later Christian times when this punishment was inflicted on Christian Jews, including perhaps some of John’s own readers. The putting out applied in Jesus’ time to those who defended Him would have been of a less formal nature. Formal excommunication is believed to have begun ca. A.D. 85, when the curse against the “minim”, or heretics, was introduced into the “18 Benedictions”.

24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give God the praise!: A solemn appeal to tell the truth in its Old Testament form (see Joshua 7:19)

**We know that this man is a sinner.": **This is the affirmation the Jews seek: If, as he claims, Jesus has cured him, it can only be at the expense of having violated the Sabbath law, thereby constituting Himself a sinner.

25 He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”: The man refuses to debate with the Jews on their own ground concerning what constitutes a sinful violation of the Sabbath. He testifies to the one thing that is undeniable.

**26 So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”:** The demands for repetition of the man’s story are a study in frustration. They are seeking to attack the story on some detail or another. The man is fully aware of their intentions and makes no attempt to be diplomatic. By his accent on the “too” he reminds the Jews of the unpleasant fact that Jesus is gathering disciples despite their efforts.
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28 They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses!: **In their reply, the Jews, zealous for the Law according to their own conceptions bring out the contrast (see John 1:17).
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29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.”: **Moses has spoken with God, but Jesus’ origins are unknown. The Christian knows that Jesus is the one who speaks what He hears from His Father and is the only one who has seen God.

**30 The man answered and said to them, "This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.

32 It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.": **The man becomes quite bold in his answers. This gives us an example of the Christian who must testify fearlessly to the truth. Invoking a common biblical theme (Isaiah 1:15; Proverbs 15:29) he proves with irrefutable logic that Jesus could be no sinner but must be from God. The only Old Testament cure from blindness is found in Tobit 11:7-13, but Tobit was not born blind.

**34 They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”: **Having been rejected by the Pharisees, Jesus offers him the opportunity to make the ultimate act of faith.
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36 He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”: **Having been rejected by the Pharisees, Jesus offers him the opportunity to make the ultimate act of faith.

**37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.”: **In words reminiscent of the story last week (the Samaritan woman at the well), Jesus points to Himself.

**38 He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him: **Having progressed from man, to prophet, he now recognizes Jesus’ true identity and addresses Him with the title of Christian faith.
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39 Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”: **The effect of the judgment brought about by Jesus’ call to faith is that many, like the Pharisees, falsely believing that they already possess the light, reject the revelation of God.
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40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”

41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains: T**he Pharisees correctly recognize that Jesus’ words apply to them. If only they realized the extent of their own blindness, there would be hope that they would seek for light. What makes their case hopeless is their smug complacency.

 

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Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs referencing John 9:

**575 **Many of Jesus’ deeds and words constituted a “sign of contradiction”,321 but more so for the religious authorities in Jerusalem, whom the Gospel according to John often calls simply “the Jews”,322 than for the ordinary People of God.323 To be sure, Christ’s relations with the Pharisees were not exclusively polemical. Some Pharisees warn him of the danger he was courting;324 Jesus praises some of them, like the scribe of Mark 12:34, and dines several times at their homes.325 Jesus endorses some of the teachings imparted by this religious elite of God’s people: the resurrection of the dead,326 certain forms of piety (almsgiving, fasting and prayer),327 the custom of addressing God as Father, and the centrality of the commandment to love God and neighbor.328

321. Lk 2:34.

322. Cf. Jn 1:19; 2:18; 5:10; 7:13; 9:22; 18:12; 19:38; 20:19.

323. Jn 7:48-49.

324. Cf Lk 13:31.

325. Cf. Lk 7:36; 14:1.

326. Cf. Mt 22:23-34; Lk 20:39.

327. Cf. Mt 6:18.

328. Cf. Mk 12:28-34.

588 Jesus scandalized the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners as familiarly as with themselves.364 Against those among them “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others”, Jesus affirmed: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."365 He went further by proclaiming before the Pharisees that, since sin is universal, those who pretend not to need salvation are blind to themselves.366

364. Cf. Lk 5:30; 7:36; 11:37; 14:1.

365. Lk 18:9; 5:32; cf. Jn 7:49; 9:34.

366. Cf. Jn 8:33-36; 9:40-41.

596 The religious authorities in Jerusalem were not unanimous about what stance to take towards Jesus.380 The Pharisees threatened to excommunicate his followers.381 To those who feared that “everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation”, the high priest Caiaphas replied by prophesying: "It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."382 The Sanhedrin, having declared Jesus deserving of death as a blasphemer but having lost the right to put anyone to death, hands him over to the Romans, accusing him of political revolt, a charge that puts him in the same category as Barabbas who had been accused of sedition.383 The chief priests also threatened Pilate politically so that he would condemn Jesus to death.384

380. Cf. Jn 9:16; Jn 10:19.

381. Cf Jn 9:22.

382. Jn 11:48-50.

383. Cf. Mt 26:66; Jn 18:31; Lk 23:2, 19.

384. Cf. Jn 19:12, 15, 21.

1151 Signs taken up by Christ. In his preaching the Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of creation to make known the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.17 He performs healings and illustrates his preaching with physical signs or symbolic gestures.18 He gives new meaning to the deeds and signs of the Old Covenant, above all to the Exodus and the Passover,19 for he himself is the meaning of all these signs.

17. Cf. Lk 8:10.

18. Cf. Jn 9:6; Mk 7:33 ff.; 8:22 ff.

19. Cf. Lk 9:31; 22:7-20.

1504 Often Jesus asks the sick to believe.108 He makes use of signs to heal: spittle and the laying on of hands,109 mud and washing.110 The sick try to touch him, "for power came forth from him and healed them all."111 And so in the sacraments Christ continues to “touch” us in order to heal us.

108. Cf. Mk 5:34, 36; 9:23.

109. Cf. Mk 7:32-36; 8:22-25.

110. Cf. Jn 9:6-7.

111. Lk 6:19; cf. Mk 1:41; 3:10; 6:56.

2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102

98. Cf. Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16.

99. Mk 2:27.

100. Cf. Mk 3:4.

101. Cf. Mt 12:5; Jn 7:23.

102. Mk 2:28.

103. Ps 118:24.

2827 "If any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him."110 Such is the power of the Church’s prayer in the name of her Lord, above all in the Eucharist. Her prayer is also a communion of intercession with the all-holy Mother of God111 and all the saints who have been pleasing to the Lord because they willed his will alone:

    *It would not be inconsistent with the truth to understand the words, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," to mean: "in the Church as in our Lord Jesus Christ himself"; or "in the Bride who has been betrothed, just as in the Bridegroom who has accomplished the will of the Father."*112

110. Jn 9:31; cf. 1 Jn 5:14.

111. Cf. Lk 1:38,49.

112. St. Augustine, De serm. Dom. 2,6,24:PL 34,1279.

 

[Fidelis]

Some questions for personal study and reflection on the Readings:

* In the 1st Reading, how does Samuel let superficial appearances influence his judgment? How am I too quick to let my prejudices and preconceptions limit God’s work in my life?

* In the 2nd Reading what does St. Paul mean when he refers to “light”? To “darkness”? How are, or how can, each of these be operative in each of our lives?

* In the Gospel Reading, what assumptions lie behind the disciple’s question (verse 1)? What does Jesus’ answer reveal about how he views the blind man’s suffering?

* In this story, what are “the works of God” (verse 3)? The “night” that is coming (verse 4)? The “light of the world” (verse 5)? How are sin and suffering related?

* Note the conflicting claims to knowledge and certainty on the parts of the Pharisees, the parents, and the man born blind. What is each party sure of? Not sure of? In response to the man’s growing spiritual insight, how are the Pharisees progressing? Which way is your faith progressing?

* When you hear of another’s misfortune, do you react like the disciples of Jesus? Why?

* What physical or emotional misfortune in your life has turned into an opportunity for God to demonstrate his power?

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation on the Gospel for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: St. John was an eyewitness of this story. He was one of our Lord’s first disciples and was with him in Jerusalem when this incident took place. That the behavior of the Pharisees made a deep impression on his young mind is evident from the minute details he is able to give when writing his gospel, sixty years later. The Pharisees were opposed to Jesus from the very beginning of his public life (see Jn. 3 & 7). He mixed with publicans and sinners; he preached mercy and forgiveness. Many of the common people all over the country and in Jerusalem itself were becoming his disciples, and this meant that the Pharisees were losing followers and temple revenue. Their personal pride was being hurt and their privileges being weakened. They would have long since put an end to his mission, but “his hour had not yet come” (Jn. 7: 30).

Today’s story shows up this pride and prejudice. They at first refuse to admit a miracle occurred. When the parents convince them that the cured man is their son who was born blind, they attribute the miracle to a sinner, one in league with Satan, but the cured man shows them this is impossible. They then excommunicate the man but they remain convinced that the worker of this miracle is not from God, not the Messiah, but an impostor.

The Pharisees have long since disappeared from history, but there are thousands still among us who are blinded by the same pride and prejudice, refuse to see the truths of God’s revelation as made known to mankind in its fulness by the life and the teaching of Christ. They refuse to admit that God exists or that Christ existed, or that if he did he was the Son of God, who became man in order to make us sons of God and heirs of heaven. In their pride they claim to be absolute masters of their own fate, and they seem or pretend to be content that that fate will end in the death of the body.

Like the fox who lost his tail, they are not content to keep their irrational unbelief to themselves, but want others to join them. They are ever ready to propagate their errors and to accuse believers of childish credulity and folly. We accept their accusations; we are thankful to God and to his beloved Son, Christ, that we have been given the light of faith. Our reason tells us that the marvelous gifts we have are not from ourselves but were given us by a loving God who by the act of creation shared his own goodness with all creatures, but especially with man whom he made “in his own image and likeness.” These gifts of intellect and will we possess are such that they could never be satisfied in the few years we are given in this life. God’s revelation through Christ informs us that there is a future life awaiting us where our spiritual faculties, and our transformed bodies as well, will be fully and fittingly satisfied.

Christ, “the light of the world,” to whom the Pharisees and their modern followers shut their eyes lest they see, is our light and our delight. Through the gift of faith, he has given us a spiritual eyesight, which, while it cannot dispel all the shadows and discomforts of this life, opens up to us a glorious unending future where our God-given gifts will at last find their true purpose, their true satisfaction.

May God shed some of this light on those who in their folly ignore and deny him, and may he never let us falter in our faith and in our fidelity to the baptismal promises which we made to him when, through his grace and generosity, we became his chosen children of light.

 

[Fidelis]

From the Daily Scripture Reading & Meditation website:

** “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see”**
**
Meditation: **Do you want to see God? Only one thing can blind us from seeing and understanding God’s wisdom, beauty, goodness, and truth, and that is sin. Sin clouds the mind in moral confusion and closes the heart to God’s love and truth. Sin grows in darkness and resists the light of God’s truth. In God’s light we see sin for what it really is, a rejection of God and a refusal to listen to his word and obey his will. Many Jews thought that physical blindness and sickness resulted from sin. While the scriptures indicate that sin can make the body and mind sick as well as the soul, not all sickness, however is the result of sin. Sickness can befall us for a variety of reasons. Paul the Apostle reminds us that “in everything God works for good with those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

When Jesus met a man who was blind from birth, he awakened hope in him by proclaiming that he was the light of the world. Jesus then did something quite remarkable, both to identify with this man’s misery and to draw faith and confidence in him as well. He touched the man’s eyes with his own spittle mixed with dirt and bid him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. This pool was one of the landmarks of Jerusalem. Hezekiah had a secret tunnel bored through 583 yards of solid rock in the hillside in order to bring water from the Gihon Spring, which was outside the city walls, into the city proper (2Chr.32:2-8,30; Isa.22:9-11; 2Kgs.20:20). At the Feast of Sukkoth (also known as the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths) water from this pool was brought by one of the priests to the temple with great trumpet blasts while the people recited the words of Isaiah 12:3: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” It was poured together with wine beside the altar and ultimately flowed into the Kidron Valley. This was both a thanksgiving offering for the summer harvest and a petition that God would continue to provide water and growth for the newly planted seeds for the next harvest. It was during the Feast of Sukkoth that Jesus identified himself as the source of this life-giving water (John 7:37).

Jesus not only gave physical sight to the blind man, but spiritual vision as well. That is why Jesus proclaimed himself the “light of the world” (John 9:4). What is the significance of this miracle at the Pool of Siloam? It is certainly more than just a miraculous event. It is a “sign” that points to the source of the miraculous life-giving water and light which Jesus offers through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit (John 7:38). Do you want the Holy Spirit to give you vision and faith to walk in the light of God’s love and truth?

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus’ miracle on two counts. First, he healed the blind man on the Sabbath, which they considered a serious violation of the command to rest on the Sabbath. Second, how could a sinner and a sabbath-breaker do such a marvelous work of God! The cured man must not have really been blind at all! This blind man was well known to many people and his parents testified under oath that he had indeed been blind since birth. Their prejudice made them blind to God’s intention for the Sabbath and to Jesus’ claim to be the One sent from the Father in heaven to bring freedom and light to his people. They tried to intimidate both this cured man and his parents by threatening to exclude them from membership in the synagogue. This man was shunned by the religious authorities because he believed that Jesus was the Messiah. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, remarked: “The Jews (the Pharisees) cast him out of the Temple; the Lord of the Temple found him.” If our witness of Jesus and his redeeming power in our lives separates us from our fellow neighbors, it nonetheless draws us nearer to Jesus himself. Paul the Apostles warns us to avoid the darkness of sin that we might walk more clearly in the light of Christ (Ephes. 5:8-12). Do you allow any blindspots to blur your vision of what God is offering you and asking of you?

Jesus is ever ready to heal us and to free us from the darkness of sin and deception. There is no sickness, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual that the Lord Jesus does not identify with. Isaiah prophesied that the “Suffering Servant” would be bruised for our iniquities and by his stripes we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5). The Lord offers us freedom from spiritual blindness due to sin and he restores us to wholeness of body, mind, soul, and heart. Augustine of Hippo, in his commentary on this gospel passage, remarks: “If we reflect on the meaning of this miracle, we will see that the blind man is the human race …You already know, of course, who the “One Sent” is. Unless he had been sent, none of us would have been freed from sin.”
*
“Jesus, in your name the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead are raised to life. Come into our lives and heal the wounds of our broken hearts. Give us eyes of faith to see your glory and hearts of courage to bring you glory in all we say and do.” *

 

[Fidelis]

From Dr. Scott Hahn at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology:

**
Eyesight to the Blind**

God’s ways of seeing are not our ways, we hear in today’s First Reading. Jesus illustrates this in the Gospel - as the blind man comes to see and the Pharisees are made blind.

The blind man stands for all humanity. “Born totally in sin” he is made a new creation by the saving power of Christ.

As God fashioned the first man from the clay of the earth (see Genesis 2:7), Jesus gives the blind man new life by anointing his eyes with clay (see John 9:11). As God breathed the spirit of life into the first man, the blind man is not healed until he washes in the waters of Siloam, a name that means “Sent.”

Jesus is the One “sent” by the Father to do the Father’s will (see John 9:4; 12:44). He is the new source of life-giving water - the Holy Spirit who rushes upon us in Baptism (see John 4:10; 7:38-39).

This is the Spirit that rushes upon God’s chosen king David in today’s First Reading. A shepherd like Moses before him (see Exodus 3:1; Psalm 78:70-71), David is also a sign pointing to the good shepherd and king to come - Jesus (see John 10:11).

The Lord is our shepherd, as we sing in today’s Psalm. By his death and Resurrection He has made a path for us through the dark valley of sin and death, leading us to the verdant pastures of the kingdom of life, the Church.

In the restful waters of Baptism He has refreshed our souls. He has anointed our heads with the oil of Confirmation and spread the Eucharistic table before us, filling our cups to overflowing.

With the once-blind man we enter His house to give God the praise, to renew our vow: “I do believe, Lord.”

“The Lord looks into the heart,” we hear today. Let Him find us, as Paul advises in today’s Epistle, living as “children of light” - trying always to learn what is pleasing to our Father

.

 

[Fidelis]

From The Word Among Us magazine:

“I was blind and now I see.” (John 9:25)

As you read about the blind man in this story, notice how the people viewed him initially. The disciples saw his blindness as a result of sin. His neighbors saw him as a beggar. The Pharisees saw only that he had been healed on the Sabbath. The Jewish worshippers saw a hoax— they couldn’t believe he was healed until they questioned his parents. And the parents believed he had been healed, but wouldn’t say how.

Only Jesus understood the truth: This man was a child of God. God didn’t make him blind. No, God was using his blindness to bring glory to Jesus. Through this healing and others like it, many would recognize that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah sent by the Father.

We may not be physically blind, but we all face a certain degree of spiritual blindness. As fallen human beings, we all have a tendency toward sin and self-centeredness, but we aren’t always aware of how this tendency works itself out in our lives. That’s why Jesus came: “so that those who do not see might see” (John 9:39). Even now he wants to open our eyes more fully so that we can see our need. Mind you, he doesn’t want to condemn us or lord it over us. He wants to heal us.

Never forget that you are a beloved child of God. Even as you come to recognize your spiritual blindness, remember that Jesus loves you. He won’t condemn you! So don’t be afraid to bring your “blind spots” to him today at Mass. In the Penitential Rite, ask him to open your eyes to your hidden darkness. Then, as you receive his body and blood at communion, ask him to fill you with his wonderful light. Every Mass gives us the opportunity to repeat the words of the man in today’s Gospel: “I was blind and now I see” (John 9:25).
*
“Lord, thank you for the salvation you have won for me! Help me to walk in your light—to see as you see and to love as you love!”*

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. In the first reading, we are told that “the Lord looks into the heart” but “man sees the appearance.” How often do you judge a man’s heart by appearances? What specific steps can you take to adopt a more godly perspective of others?

1. In the familiar Psalm 23, we read that the Lord “refreshes my soul.” What does that mean to you? Have there been times in your life when you have actually experienced the Lord’s refreshment? When?

1. How can you better approach prayer and the Eucharist with an expectant faith that you will experience the Lord’s refreshment?

1. The letter to the Ephesians tells us to expose the “fruitless works of darkness” so that “Christ will give you light.” The best place for this to happen is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What steps can you take to have a thoughtful and prayerful reception of this Sacrament?

1. The Gospel story, in addition to being a story of a miraculous healing of a blind man, is also a story of conversion, i.e., the healing of spiritual blindness. The blind man went from saying, “I don’t know” to the initial questions about Jesus to “One thing I know, I was blind but now I see.” And finally, “Lord, I believe” and then “he worshiped him.” How would you describe your own journey of conversion, in light of this story?

1. In the meditation, we hear these words: “We may not be physically blind, but we all face a certain degree of spiritual blindness. As fallen human beings, we all have a tendency toward sin and self-centeredness, but we aren’t always aware of how this tendency works itself out in our lives. That’s why Jesus came: “so that those who do not see might see” (John 9:39). Even now he wants to open our eyes more fully so that we can see our need.” What areas of spiritual blindness do you want Jesus to heal so that you can “see” more clearly in those areas?

1. Take some time now to ask Jesus “to see as you see and to love as you love!” Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point. What can you do right now, and in the remaining weeks of Lent, to help make this happen?

 

[kelvinf]

I have a couple of questions:

In the first reading, it is mentioned:

“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Did God look into David heart before choosing him or how is this related to the Lord choosing David?

In the gospel, the disciples asked:

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

and Jesus answered:

“Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.

The Navarre Bible Commentary:

We know through Revelation (cf. Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; etc.) that the origin of all the misfortunes which afflict mankind is sin–Original Sin and later personal sin. However, this does not mean that each misfortune or illness has its immediate cause in a personal sin, as if God inflicted or allowed evils to happen in direct proportion to every sin committed. Suffering, which is so often a factor in the life of the just man, can be a resource God sends him to cleanse him of his imperfections, to exercise him in virtue and to unite him to the sufferings of Christ the Redeemer…

The Word Among Us magazine:

Only Jesus understood the truth: This man was a child of God. God didn’t make him blind. No, God was using his blindness to bring glory to Jesus.

Based on the above, I am still not clear. I haven’t yet found the exact answer to the question the disciples posed. Who is responsible for his blindness?

 

[Fidelis]

I have a couple of questions:

In the first reading, it is mentioned:

“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Yes, I think the text is telling us that is exactly what God did. David was chosen by God not on the basis of external factors alone, but by really knowing who David was.

In the gospel, the disciples asked:

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
and Jesus answered:

“Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.

The Navarre Bible Commentary:

We know through Revelation (cf. Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; etc.) that the origin of all the misfortunes which afflict mankind is sin–Original Sin and later personal sin. However, this does not mean that each misfortune or illness has its immediate cause in a personal sin, as if God inflicted or allowed evils to happen in direct proportion to every sin committed. Suffering, which is so often a factor in the life of the just man, can be a resource God sends him to cleanse him of his imperfections, to exercise him in virtue and to unite him to the sufferings of Christ the Redeemer…

The Word Among Us magazine:

Only Jesus understood the truth: This man was a child of God. God didn’t make him blind. No, God was using his blindness to bring glory to Jesus.

Based on the above, I am still not clear. I haven’t yet found the exact answer to the question the disciples posed. Who is responsible for his blindness?

According to Jesus, neither of the presuppositions that the disciples offered was the case. Jesus’ answer falls into that category of the great mystery of evil-- that, as men, we know experientially that evil exists, but many times we cannot see a clear cause and effect for why it occurs. Divine Revelation tells us, however, that suffering has it’s origin, ultimately, in Original Sin, and that God permits it to exist for reasons known only to him. We also know that, in his own omniscience and omnipotence, God makes everything work toward good (as with the blind man, where God’s mercy and power were able to be displayed). It is only at the end of our lives that we will see the Big Picture.

 

[Fidelis]

Walk in the Light – A Meditation on the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday of Lent
By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In today’s Gospel, Jesus, the Light of the World, brings light to a man born blind. If you are prepared to accept it, you are the man born blind, for all of us were born blind and in darkness. It was our baptism alone, and the faith it gave, which has rendered us able to see, and, by stages, to come more fully into the light. The man in today’s Gospel shows forth the stages of the Christian walk, out of darkness, and into the beautiful light of Christ. Let’s take a moment and observe these stages evident in this man, for we are the man.
**
I. The Problem that is Presented – We are introduced to man who was blind from his birth, he is quite incapable of seeing at all. The text says: As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

So there is the problem, he is blind, he has no vision. And this us. On account of Original Sin we had lost all spiritual vision. We could not see God, or endure the light of his glory. This lack of vision causes many to have no “vision” for their life. They don’t know why they were made, or what the true purpose of their existence is. Many cannot see past the sufferings of this world to the glory that waits. Still others have retreated into the material world and cannot see beyond it. Others have retreated even further, away from reality into the realm only of their mind, their own opinions and so forth. St. Augustine describes this condition of the human person as *curvatus in se *(man, turned in on himself). Yes, there is a blindness that imprisons many in the darkness. And even for us who do believe there are still areas where it is hard for us to see. Coming to see God more fully, and ourselves as we really are is a journey we are still on.

While the disciples want to dwell on secondary causes, Jesus sidesteps these concerns and focuses on solutions. The fact is he is blind, assessing blame is unproductive. Healing the man is uppermost. In a statement, dripping with irony, Jesus says that the works of God will be made visible in a blind man. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (1 Cor 1:25). Yes, God can make a way out of no way and write straight with crooked lines. So Jesus gets to work.

**II. The Purification that is Prescribed – **Having diagnosed the problem and noting that the man is in darkness, Jesus, the Light of the World, begins the work of healing this man. The text says, When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” – which means Sent -. So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

Hopefully, you can see baptism here. Jesus says, “Go and wash.” – He went, he washed and he came back able to see. Yes, this is baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of Baptism: This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding… Having received in Baptism the Word, “the true light that enlightens every man,” the person baptized has been “enlightened,” he becomes a “son of light,” indeed, he becomes “light” himself.…(CCC1216).

Baptism is required, in order to truly see. It is no mere aside that John mentions the name of the pool to which the man goes: Siloam, a name which means “sent.” Jesus sends him, and He sends us. Baptism is required. Jesus says elsewhere: * “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of *God. (John 3:5)

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

Notice he comes back ABLE to see. But just because you’re able to see does not mean you actually DO see. Right now I am able to see the Statue of liberty, my eyes work fine for that. But I do not yet see it. I have to make a journey to do that. Thus, the man here is able to see Jesus, but he does not yet see him. He has a journey to make in order to do that. Though able to see but he, like we, has a long way to go to see Jesus fully, and face to face. Baptism is not the end of our journey but the beginning of it. It renders us able to see. But we are still new born babes. We need to grow. We can see, but there is plenty we haven’t seen yet.

**III. The Perception that is Partial – **Hence we notice the man can see, but he still does not know much of the one who has enabled him to see. Notice what the text says: His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, ” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

So he’s able to see. But he hasn’t seen much. The man must grow in his faith to come to know who Jesus Really is. Look at how his partial perception is described. For now, he merely understands Jesus as “the man called Jesus.” To him, Jesus is just some “dude,” some “guy.” And then they ask where Jesus is, and all he can say is that he does “not know.” Hence although he able to see, he does not yet actually see Jesus.

And this describes a lot of Christians. They know about Jesus but they don’t know him. Many Catholics in the pews are “sacramentalized but unevangelized.” That is, they have received the sacraments, but have never really met Jesus Christ and do not know him in any more than an intellectual way. Many don’t even expect to know him. He is little better to them than “the man called Jesus.” They’ve heard of Jesus, and even know some basic facts, but he still remains a distant figure in their lives. And when asked questions about him, they respond like this man, “I don’t know.”

The man needs to make progress, and he will and we shall now see. Remember, you are the man.

IV. Progress Through Persecution and Pondering – The text goes on to show us the progress this formerly blind man makes in coming to know and finally see Jesus. It is interesting that this progress comes largely through persecution. Now persecution for us need not always be understood as being arrested and thrown in jail etc. Persecution can come in many forms such as puzzlement, expressed by relatives and friends, ridicule of Catholicism in the media, or even those internal voices that make us question our faith. But, in what ever form, persecution has a way of making us face the questions, and refine our understanding. Our vision gets clearer as we meet the challenges.

Notice the man’s progress up till now. He HAS been baptized and is now able to see. But he still knows little of Jesus calling only “the man called Jesus,” and not really knowing where Jesus is. But, he is about to grow, and he does so in several stages.

In stage one of his post-baptismal growth we that his neighbors turn on him and bring him to the Pharisees who interrogate him because Jesus had healed him on a sabbath. The text says,

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a Sabbath. So then, the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

Thus notice what this persecution does for him. As he is challenged to say something about Jesus he moves beyond calling him “the man called Jesus” and describes Jesus as a “prophet.” He has gained some insight here. A prophet speaks for God and, Jesus is the Word, made flesh.

In Stage two of his post-baptismal growth we see that the Pharisees doubt his story and broaden their persecution to interrogate and threaten his fearful parents, and then they call him back and put him under oath and declare Jesus to be a sinner. The text says:

Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” his parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”

In stage three of his post-baptismal growth we note that the continuing persecution seems to make him grow even stronger and more able to withstand his opponents. Note his determination and fearlessness in the second interrogation he faces which includes ridiculing him and placing him under oath:

*So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” *They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

The result of this is to further deepen his vision of Jesus. For, at first, he saw him only as “the man called Jesus,” then he sees him as a prophet, now he goes further and sees him as “from God.” He’s progressing from sight to insight. His ability to see, given him in baptism is now resulting in even clearer vision.

This then, leads us to the final end of this gospel and this man’s journey.
**
V.Perfection that is Portrayed – **He has been thrown out of the synagogue, as many early Christians were. He has endured the hatred of the world, and the loss of many things. Now, cast aside, and hated by the world, the Lord approaches him. The text says:

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.”He said, “I do believe, Lord, ” and he worshiped him.

Now his vision is plain. After all this, he finally sees. He sees, not only Jesus, but Who Jesus is. First he saw him only as “the man called Jesus.” Next a prophet. Next, he says, he is from God. But this final stage is the best of all. He actually sees Jesus and falls down to worship Him, Jesus is not only from God, he IS God. Christ has fully enlightened this man.

This is our journey, moving in stages to more perfectly know Jesus. One day we will see him face to face. But even before that time we are called to grow in faith by stages so that we see Jesus for who he is.

Where are you on this journey? Our vision is daily getting better if we are faithful but it is not yet complete. Scripture says

• 1. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. (1 Cor 13:12)

1. Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2)
2. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God? (Psalm 42:2)*

For now, make this journey. Journey in stages. Come to know who Jesus is.

 

[kelvinf]

I am just trying to relate to how God chose David to how he chose others like Saul the persecutor. If he indeed chooses/chose David on basis of the heart, then what can be said about him choosing Saul the persecutor?

 

[kelvinf]

Gospel Reading: John 9:1-41

* In this Sunday’s gospel reading, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:10), a feast marked by the lighting of large candelabra and torchlight processions. He is in the temple with his disciples on the Sabbath a few months before his Passion.

* While in the temple, Jesus heals a blind man using clay made from his own saliva, which he smears on (literally, “anoints”) the blind man’s eyes. Jesus instructs the blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam and the blind man is cured. The blind man, acting first out of trust and obedience, comes to believe in Jesus as Lord. Jesus enemies, however, miss the significance of the cure, instead focusing on its perceived illegality (verses 14, 16. See Luke 13:16, 14:5).

* As the preceding Sunday’s reading focused on “water” (John 4:5-42. See also John 7:37), the theme of “light” is emphasized here (see John 8:12). Also, as in the case of the Samaritan woman, the blind man has a progression of faith (verses 11, 17, 33, 35). The Pharisees that are opposing Jesus, however, have their own faith progression, moving from mere doubt (verse 16) to blasphemy (verse 24) to injustice (verse 34).

This Sunday’s Gospel Reading has both a full version (comprising all of John, chapter 9) and an abbreviated version. Here is the long version of the Gospel Reading as most of us should hear it this Sunday:

In most of the other cases, the sick person approached/called Jesus and asked him for a favour – healing. He often first tested for faith before granting the request.

But in this case, Jesus made the first move and healed the blind man without him asking.
What can we learn from this? That we must not always ask? If such a lesson could be drawn from this passage, then it might be contradictory to other passages in Scripture where we are taught to “ask”.