I cannot believe how fast our reality has changed. It seems like our routine of life has been turned upside down. And perhaps, with that, comes a lot of questions. Why is this happening? How did things get so out of control? Are we doing the right thing to prevent the spread of the virus? Is this overacting? Are we taking enough precautions or doing enough? Why are people hoarding all those rolls of toilet paper?
So many questions. I bring this up, because, what is striking about today's account of the healing of the blind man at the pool of Siloam is the presence of so many questions in our Gospel reading for today. We begin with a question from Jesus' disciples, as they wonder who was responsible for this man's blindness, asking: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The disciples assume that this man is blind because someone had sinned, a common belief in the ancient world. The blind man's neighbors ask questions, wanting to know how he recovered his sight. The Pharisees, as always, ask many questions about who Jesus is, about how he broke the law in curing this man on the Sabbath. It's striking that the Pharisees' questions are so condemning. The Pharisees are not concerned with the blind man's welfare, nor do they celebrate his gift of sight.
In light of all these questions in today’s Gospel, what about the questions we ourselves in the search for God in our lives? Depending upon what questions we ask and how we ask them, our questions can either help us to see the world through the gift of our faith, or our questions can blind us to God's presence with us. The disciples, the man's neighbors, and others question whether this man was really blind since birth. In asking such questions, they don’t see the joy and the miracle in what Jesus did in healing him. They could only ask what their view of the world and their expectations allow them to envision, which is a distorted view of reality.
In light of all these questions in today’s Gospel, what about the questions we ourselves in the search for God in our lives? Depending upon what questions we ask and how we ask them, our questions can either help us to see the world through the gift of our faith, or our questions can blind us to God's presence with us. The disciples, the man's neighbors, and others question whether this man was really blind since birth. In asking such questions, they don’t see the joy and the miracle in what Jesus did in healing him. They could only ask what their view of the world and their expectations allow them to envision, which is a distorted view of reality.
Having been healed, this man is able to live a different life not just because of his newly obtained sight, but because of his newfound spiritual sight. He recognizes Jesus as the Son of Man, as the light of the world. The Pharisees were never physically blind, but they were blind in a psychological and spiritual sense. The truth is hidden from the Pharisees by their need to control, in only asking those questions that they hoped would reinforce their rigid view of God and the world. They can’t behold the miracles that Jesus performs with awe and wonder, but instead they try to condemn him and trap him.
In our search for God, in our journey of conversion and repentance during Lent, we need to be willing to see things differently. We need to ask new questions that will give us honest, insightful answers, that will allow Jesus to challenge our biases and suppositions, for it's often difficult for us to see God in our lives in a new way, even when it's before our very eyes.
“Our Lord Jesus, most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.” St. Richard, the Bishop of Chichester, England, prayed those words to Jesus way back in the 13th century. In fact, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester takes place this upcoming week on April 3. Seeing, knowing, and loving God more clearly: Isn't that at the heart of what our Gospel is about today? Isn't that the heart of our Lenten journey?
The light of God can be given to us in any condition we are in, whether we’re currently blind, or whether we can already see clearly through the eyes of faith. We are invited to recognize God's light in Jesus. For the disciples, the Pharisees, and the neighbors of the blind man, opening themselves up to the light of Christ meant a new understanding of sin, a different way of looking at the purpose of human life, and the meaning of God's actions in human history.
We are challenged in the present moment to put our trust in God and to try to get through the difficult days we are living under. We are to take precautions and to do the best we can. We get wise advice from professionals. But then we do not panic and we do not become irrational. We continue to walk by faith. We continue to ask questions, knowing that we will not always have the answer. But we do not give up on the Church and in our faith in the Lord.
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