The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Year A

By the Rev. Ann M. Smith

Based on the gospel reading: John 9:1-41

"For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light," Paul says to the Ephesians about the way of salvation. That theme of darkness and light is quite prevalent in Scriptures. Perhaps that is because it speaks to us on a deep level about our human condition. We know that when we are in the dark we grope for some sense of where we are. Who of us as children have not experienced the fear of darkness as we lay huddled in bed wondering what terrible creature lurked under us ready to pounce if we set foot on the floor? Light, even a small amount of light, helps us to get our bearings and recover our sense of direction.

We who are sighted can't really imagine what it is like to be blind. My closest experience of blindness is in dealing with my dog Jewel who has glaucoma. She is blind in one eye and losing sight in the other. I am amazed by her resilience. When she first lost the sight in her one eye she would misjudge distances. She bumped into walls and furniture. But that didn't last long. As her sight dims she seems to gain insight. She can't see the squirrels in the backyard but she knows when they are there. She even seems to know which tree they have scampered into. There is a great flurry of barking as she gleefully chases them out of her yard.

Sight is one of God's most precious gifts to us. To see the beauty of God’s creation - oceans, mountains, lakes and trees - fills us with joy. Seeing our parents, our children, our friends, brings us happiness. To see where we can go, what we can do, and what we can make gives us a sense of freedom. We have sight, but often, as difficult as it is to understand, we simply do not see. We remain in the darkness. We miss the beauty in places and people. We are blind because we do not look. Not looking, being blind to the beauty around us, can make us miss many wonderful things.

Imagine being blind and spending one's entire life in the darkness. Imagine that darkness suddenly being lifted. For that is the scene in today's Gospel. Jesus heals a man who is born blind. The man actually receives much more than physical sight; he receives an insight that allows him to view Jesus, first as a good person, then as a prophet, and finally as the Messiah. "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he," Jesus tells him. It is a beautiful moment of faith and insight as the man chooses to come into the light and truly see with eyes of faith.

In so many seemingly ordinary moments, in so many disguises, Jesus stands before us offering us the opportunity of opening our eyes and seeing in a different way, seeing with eyes of faith. We see and seeing, we believe.

Not that it always happens that way! The Pharisees for example may enjoy physical sight but they are blind and choose to remain in ignorance and darkness. It comes out in their attitudes towards Jesus and towards the man born blind. "Who sinned?" they ask Jesus. "Who is to blame? Did he cause this or is it because of something that his parents did?" And when Jesus points out that suffering is not an arbitrary punishment from God they don’t get it. His blindness has to have been caused by some flaw in him or in his parents. They don’t recognize the person standing before them, sight restored. It is unbelievable to them that a blind beggar, nameless, not worth a thought, could have been so blessed by God.

In the passage from Ephesians Paul is reflecting on spiritual blindness. He is quite clear about the responsibility of salvation. When we become enlightened we must live as children of light. Once we are offered the opportunity of seeing, then we must act on what we have witnessed and live as children of light.

Many choose to be blind, to live in darkness. In fact, like the Pharisees they may not even recognize their lack of insight. Indeed, we all have blind spots. So we must question, what darkness is there in our lives? Do we hide who we are or how we live? Do we live intentionally as Christians? Do we live authentically? What decisions change simply because we are Christians? Does it change the way we live – or the way we speak – or the television programs we choose to watch – or how we make our decisions? Does it change our response to those in need or trouble? If it doesn't, are we living in the light? Are we living out our faith? Or are we simply deluding ourselves?

What blindness do we see around us? Have you ever heard as I have an attitude towards suffering that blames the victim? Many attitudes may be seen as a kind of blindness, not that it excuses the behaviour, just explains it. "Who sinned?" We get the mistaken notion that God causes suffering as punishment for the way we live our lives rather than seeing suffering as part of our human condition.

Our attitudes about race, colour and creed are also symptoms of blindness. 9-11 has made us even more suspicious of one another. It has made the barriers between faiths even greater. It has made us forget that we all seek the same God. It should shock and outrage us to hear of violence perpetrated against Moslems. It should shock us that people have used that terrible tragedy to perpetrate their own brand of evil against innocent victims. It seems that many have again taken up the battle cry ‘God is on our side’.

The Christian challenge is to overcome our blindness and live increasingly in the light of Christ. This involves a growing understanding of the truth revealed through Christ and a willingness to reflect it in the practical living of every day. When we are enlightened it becomes our responsibility. Because we know the love of God it is our responsibility to share that love. It is our responsibility to see other people as children of God. It is our responsibility to break down the barriers that cause hatred. It is our responsibility to speak out against injustice. It is our responsibility to see Christ in others. It is our responsibility to do what we can.

Jesus loved the blind man enough to do what he could. Everyone else was sitting around wondering why he was blind and blaming him for his inability to see. We can expect God to respond to our problems with action in the same way that we are called to respond to the needs of others.

When we begin to open our eyes we will find that God’s ways are surprising. Shepherds become kings, blind people see, religious leaders are blind. God changes our notions and transforms us if we are able to allow it to happen.

When we consider human suffering, it is good to remember that failures are not always just disasters. Jesus changed a disaster into good. A man’s blindness became a blessing. The work of God was displayed in his life.

The setting sun doesn’t get rid of the clouds; it draws them into the radiant beauty of the sunset. The light of the sun transforms the rain into a rainbow. The light of Christ does not magically remove all of our ills and troubles; it enables us to experience them in a new way. Let us prayerfully do what we can to bring hope where there is none, and to bring light where there is darkness.