FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT "A"

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Cycle “A”: John 9, 1 – 41

“I do believe, Lord (John 9, 38). The most famous blind man in history is spoken of in today’s Gospel. And, to the horror of historians, he is without a name. An ancient legend does report that the fellow took the name “Restitutus”, meaning “recovered” or “restored”, and that he became the bishop of St. Paul Trois Chateaux in southern France. “Restitutus” or Mr. Restored came to believe in Jesus as divine. As the drama opens, the man born blind had no idea that his healer was the Lord of history. But he was well aware what he had done for him, particularly to his eyes. To add to the drama, the man was summarily summoned by the Pharisees, the Grand Inquisitors. Jesus had touched the man’s eyes with paste made of spittle and mud, and to make paste like that broke the Sabbath rest. And what was more, Jesus was not an accredited person, not one of them. In response to their third degree methods, Mr. Restitutus blurts out, “the man called Jesus gave me sight.” He had never met a person like Christ. Not surprisingly, he had put him down as someone extraordinary. Restitutus was right on the money, so to say !

I any hall of fame, one must put Jesus right up front. One can borrow the words of William Shakespeare and with ease apply them to the Nazarene: “His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him, that nature might stand up and say to all the world, ‘This was a man’”. One fine evening, the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was hosting a dinner party. His well-fed and glittering guests were discussing Jesus Christ. They concluded that he was nothing more than a remarkable man. Their Emperor, twirling his brandy in a snifter glass, cut across them. “Gentlemen,” he said, “I know men; and Jesus Christ is more than a man.” Why Napoleon or Shakespeare ? Listen to our own great Vivekananda – Bengali Hindu philosopher. Vivekananda declared: “If I see Jesus before me, I shall put my hand into my heart, extract my blood and spread it on his feet.” Jesus used paste from spittle and mud; here is a man who would smear his own blood on his feet.

But coming back to our once blind man, Mr. Restored. He throws a fresh card on the table by confidently declaring to his enraged inquisitors, “He is a prophet !”  They are not amused, but shout in a hot frenzy, “Are you trying to teach us ?” Jesus must surely have expected that the poor fellow would get hot tongue and cold shoulder from the authorities. So he comes around to pick up the pieces. At this point begins this magnificent dialogue:

“Do you believe in the Son of man ?”

“Sir, tell me who he is that I may believe in him.”

“You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.”  And the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and worshipped him. You must have noticed a progression in the faith of the man. The man realised that Jesus was not merely a man but a prophet, and more than a prophet – the Son of God! The Spirit moved him from unbelief to saving faith in Jesus. Little by little we too have progressed in our faith: from parents to school, through first Holy Communion to Confirmation, through having to deal with doubt and difficult challenges to our faith like failure, disappointments, loss. Yet holding fast, the Spirit led us to a stronger faith. Just as God manifested his works in the blind man, so has he manifested his works in us.

The awe-struck Restitutus called Jesus divine, not because he chose to but because he felt compelled to. The man had been blind, but remember, he was never dumb. There is a rich vein of irony in this story. We can see how God turns the world’s expectations on their head. Those who are so sure they can see are, in truth, blind. Those who start out blind take a risk at Jesus’ invitation and end up seeing.  They pass from blindness to sight, and from sight to insight. The blind man now not only sees the world but he perceives Jesus as Saviour God. He contrasts with the neighbours, who remain in ignorance; his parents who cannot take a risk; and the Pharisees who refuse to believe what their eyes see. No one is so blind as the person who refuses to see.

The miracle also tells us much about Jesus. The blind man did not ask for a cure. Jesus volunteered it. He was touched to the quick by the man’s condition and offered the miracle. Nor did it matter that the blind man hadn’t the foggiest who Jesus was. Jesus is simply a soft touch for the underdog. Notice, too, he does not send the healing by Speed post or E Mail. This is a hands-on Jesus. Verse 11 of this gospel tells us he touched the man’s eyes and washed them with his own hands. If Christ had carried a visiting card, it would read: “Jesus Christ, son of man. Totally available all times.”

Lent is moving at a fast clip. How about helping a handicapped brother or sister before Easter find us handicapped ourselves.

PRAYER (by David Adam)

Light of the world,

Enter into the depth of our lives.

Come into the dark

and hidden places.

Walk in the storehouse

of our memories.

Hear the hidden secrets

of the past.

Plumb the very depths

of our being.

Be present through the silent hours,

and bring us safely

to your glorious life.