HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7,10-13/ Psalm 23/ Ephesians 5:8-14 /John 9:1-41
AGORSOR Aaron Agbeshie
THEME: Jesus restores our true vision.
Last week, I reminded you of the fact that every sinner is a potential witness to Christ. The Samaritan woman is an epitome of that witness. Today, it is the story of the man born blind who dared to witness in spite of the threat of expulsion from the Synagogue. In Jesus, all find a home. That the works of Christ may be made manifest was Jesus’ aim of restoring the blind man to health.
I once lived with a visually impaired while in the University. I would most of the time find myself empathizing with him and imagining how it will look like if I were in that situation. Interestingly, he has grown used to it and he is always happy. As I reflect on the Gospel reading of today, it has just dawned on me that I should rather empathise with myself since I am blind spiritually. Spiritual blindness is more dangerous than physical blindness because it leads to eternal damnation.
The story of the man born blind in the Gospel reading of today is so dramatically presented that it brings out clearly the theme of true seeing and false seeing. The trial of the blind man who now sees by the Jews leaders calls attention to this theme. The Pharisees wanted the man to deny the one thing that is most certain to him: he was blind and now he can see. The Pharisees said to the man born blind “…Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner. He answered, I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind now I see” (John 9:24-25). As Jesus points out, it is the Pharisees who are the real blind men because they are so convince that they see.
We, just like that man born blind, were born into a sinful and hurtful world. Also, like the disciples and the Pharisees who asked Jesus “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents” (John 9:2)? It is so easy to be distracted in the darkness and to spend our time trying to figure out "Who sinned?" and always asking "Why are all these bad things happening?" But in this same world there are children of light. People, like the man born blind, who can open our blind eyes to see God. Until we focus on Jesus, the light of the world, we will spend our precious time playing the blame gain.
When people refuse to face evidence honestly, but in fear evade the issue, then it is impossible to come to a united conclusion. The Pharisees should have been praising God for a miracle; instead, they sought evidence to prosecute Jesus (John 9:16, 22). The Pharisees were cautious men who would consider themselves as ‘conservatives’, when in reality they were ‘preservatives.’ A true conservative takes the best of the past and uses it but he is also aware of the new things that God is doing. The new grows out of the old (Matthew 13:52). A ‘preservative’ simply embalms the past and preserves it. He is against change and resists the new things that God is doing. The Pharisees were blind to change.
For me, the greatest miracle was not the opening of his eye but the opening of his heart to Jesus. Indeed, it cost him everything including his life to confess Jesus as saviour, but he was willing. Indeed, the works of God was made manifest because the blind man having received his sight worshipped the Lord. Thus John achieves the aim of his Gospel namely to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and to present to his readers the testimonies of people who met Jesus and affirmed that He is God’s Son. The blind beggar is such witness.
In a similar vein, the first reading reiterates the issue of spiritual blindness. After Saul had disobeyed God, God rejected him and David was anointed in his stead. To Samuel’s astonishment, God’s choice of a king for Israel falls not on the more obvious son but on David, the shepherd whom his father, Jesse did not even think of introducing to the prophet. When Samuel arrived in the house of Jesse, “He looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord” But the Lord said to Samuel “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortal see; they look on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:6-7). This is because whatever God does is for His own purpose and plan; so that the works of God may be made manifest.
In sum, the word of God we hear everyday tries to keep our vision clear. In fact each and every one of us is blind spiritually. As we consider these readings today and throughout the week, let us look at what in our lives is darkness, the places where we are blind and try to shed light on them. Are we blind to the sufferings and needs of our neighbor, do we show prejudice in our daily dealings with people, do we ignore or put into a dark place the things that we might have influence on to help others? Even though we have become light, we still must choose to put forth that light, to help others, to be a light for others. We must make sure that our community of believers is supported and that we show our love to each other. And this is the call that the Good News makes to us today in this fourth Sunday of our Lenten journey to the greatest light – that of resurrection.