A LENTEN REFLECTION…
“From Blindness to Sight to Insight to Seeing with Eyes of Faith” (Jn. 9; 1-41)

The Man Born Blind had every reason in the world to be depressed, defensive and bitter because he was so frequently disrespected, avoided, made the object of judgment and sometimes even derision. It was the mindset of the world of his time. Even the followers of Jesus corrected this fallacy. His response to His Disciples…” He hasn’t sinned. The work of God has and continues to be displayed in his life,” Jesus counsels...
“(Friends) watch and learn from this man…”

The Man Born Blind is one of the spiritual heroes found in John’s Gospel…
There’s some ingredient in his personality that rejects hopelessness; some part of his person that keeps him positive and finding the advantage in whatever life offers. He never allows himself to be victimized by tough circumstances. He did the little he could for those he cared for the most. For begging was an accepted occupation in Jewish circles; daily he earned his meager amount to contribute to his family. He gave the general population a chance to practice the religious custom of almsgiving and looking out for the vulnerable.

He was Humble, Resourceful and Courageous
Thing about where he begs. Where does he sit? At the temple. Location, location, location! How long? Quite a few years. What did he see? Nothing. What did he hear? Everything! He absorbed the conversations, debates and discussion from the very best of the rabbis, scribes and teachers of the time. Those elders’ job was to spend their lifetime focusing, reflecting and discussing God’s Word and its impact on the lives of the people. He heard it all and held it to his heart.

From Blindness to Sight:
Blind thought he was, this man could reason with the best of them. And, reason he did! “I am the man who used to sit and beg because I was blind from birth. The man they call Jesus out mud on my eyes, told me to go to Siloam and wash. I went and washed and now I can see.” The Pharisees protested, “what have you to say about him?” the man born blind replied, “He is a Prophet! Whether he is a sinner or not I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind and now I can see!”

From Sight to Insight:
The Pharisees asked him, “what did he do for you?” “I told you already, but you did not listen. Do you want to become his disciples too?” then they hurled insults at him, throwing him out of the temple. The man answered, “This is remarkable, you don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. God listens to Godly men who do his will. No one has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

From Insight to Seeing with Eyes of Faith
Jesus finds him and asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he Sir, tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You are seeing Him; He is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe, and he worshipped Him.”

Which leads me to wonder, did the disciples learn anything from their encounter with the man born blind, before, and after Christ healed him? He is a man to be admired, for his positive attitude in spite of a disability, his willingness to absorb wisdom from others, his courage to risk putting himself in another’s case, his resolute willingness to stand up for truth in the midst of opposition and his unconditional devotion to Jesus as the Lord of his life. Do they realize bearing witness to the Christ is costly?

And what about me?        How has Christ opened my eyes?
A Closing Blessing….