The Man Born Blind

The Man Born Blind

Jn 9: 1 -41

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Introduction

Today we hear about the man born blind who is cured by Jesus. His healing, however, generates a lot of controversy instead of wonder and amazement. In the end, the man born blind is cast out and rejected by the community only to be consoled by Jesus.

The Gospel

As he walked along, 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?” ³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴ We^[a] must work the works of him who sent me^[b] while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷ saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

⁸ The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹² They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. ¹⁷ So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹ and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰ His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus^[c] to be the Messiah^[d] would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶ They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸ Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰ The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³² Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”^{[e] 36} He answered, “And who is he, sir?^[f] Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” ³⁸ He said, “Lord,^[g] I believe.” And he worshiped him. ³⁹ Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” ⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Reflection

Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. We are in the midst of a crisis. Never has this crisis been more felt as when it has drastically changed the way we live our lives. And as we take all the necessary precaution to keep ourselves healthy and free from this menacing virus, the Gospel today wants us to reflect and look at our life from the perspective of faith even during these most trying times.

Today’s theme revolves around the subject of blindness. A man born blind is presented to us. He is healed by the Lord and recovers his sight. No one in the story believes that Jesus healed the blind man. At the end of the story, we see this blind man cast out and rejected for telling the truth and for believing in Jesus as a prophet.

It is interesting how the evangelist John reverses the roles of his characters in this story. While the man born blind is cured of his blindness, the other characters seemingly become blind. Until the very end, all the characters, except for the blind man, don’t recognize the incredible healing that took place. They fail to recognize Jesus as one who brought light to the blind man’s eyes. Ironically, it was the blind man alone, who accepted the truth of what happened to him and received the light of faith from Jesus himself.

Jesus once said that the truth shall set you free. While this is true, it is nonetheless quite difficult to accept the truth especially when it becomes inconvenient. The people in the story who didn’t accept the truth found it difficult and inconvenient to change the way they have always perceived things. As a consequence, they became blind themselves, and adamantly insisted on the way they view reality, despite the contrary. To them, the words of the man born blind rings true when he said: “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again?”

The denial of truth generates a kind of blindness. Such blindness creates an obstinate insistence of one’s own point of view, eventually narrowing one’s vision of reality. Sin, oftentimes creates such a narrow vision. That is why, habits of sin, are hardly changed and oftentimes become repetitive because we become unaware ourselves that what we do is wrong; that’s the time when we become blind and are unable to see that we are in reality, living in the dark.

But this Gospel episode tells us that it is Jesus who takes away this blindness, this darkness that envelops those of us who do not see the light. Jesus is the light. In his light, we see light. His brightness shines and lights up the truth about ourselves and on the truths about the events in our life. His light allows us to see the dark caverns of the soul, the hidden cracks and dark desires of the heart. His light allows us to see the signs of the times and discern the truths about the events that unfold before our eyes. Only he can light up our darkness so that we are able to see the truth and become blind no more. This Lenten Season, we ask the Lord to shine upon us so that he may reveal to us our own blind spots.

As we are today enveloped in the present crisis, it might be good for us to ask the Lord to be our light. We ask the Lord to shine on us so that he may bring healing and consolation to all of us who are presently suffering because of this crisis. But more importantly, may the Lord open our eyes so we may see why we are in such a crisis; to understand our collective faults and sins that perhaps have brought us to this state and condition. Together, we ask the Lord to open our eyes to the truth that we have long been denying and have been deaf to. We ask the Lord to shine upon us, so we may be saved.   

Prayer

Dear Jesus, light of the world, shine on me so you may reveal the darkness that envelops my mind and heart. Take away the blindness that prevents me to see the truth. Light up my life especially during this crisis so that I may see your brightness despite the doom and gloom that surrounds me. Amen.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” – John 8: 12