"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered,
"Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
When we encounter suffering and difficulties in the world we tend to want to find someone to blame. Was it this man who was at fault or was it his parents? But what we actually discover is that there is seldom a one to one correspondence between guilt and suffering. Considering this negatively, it is because the entire world apart from Christ is in darkness, was in fact consigned to darkness by the sin of our first parents. But the positive aspect is more important, which is that God did so in precisely in order to bestow grace and mercy.
For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all (see Romans 11:32).
The coming of Jesus into the world as the light of world meant that everything that was formerly only an occasion to lament the darkness could now became an opportunity to receive enlightenment and to rejoice in the light. Every single instance of suffering, sorrow, and sadness, could now be transformed into moments of healing, transformation, and renewal.
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
"Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
Jesus does not seem to choose to open the eyes of every blind man over whom a Christian prays (though perhaps it is a matter of timing rather than than an outright refusal). But he does and will become the light for everyone who had heretofore walked in darkness. He himself is the inner logic that can make sense of all that seems to be wrong with the world, the redeemer because of whom we speak of our felix culpa, our happy fault. It is a truly wonderful thing to internalize this inner logic in our own hearts. It is so valuable that it can somehow make sense of an entire life spent without sight until one at last encountered Jesus. The man born blind did not hold a grudge for the past years lost, but rather rejoiced in the new thing God had done. Even the death of Lazarus paled in comparison to the joy and meaning of seeing him restored to life, and seeing in that restoration the truth that Jesus himself was the resurrection and the life. Similarly, in every instance of suffering, there is waiting an ever greater revelation of Jesus himself, a burst of light that entirely changes our perspective.
So they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"
Like the man born blind we too need to learn to speak of our testimony about how Jesus himself transformed darkness to light in our own lives. Like him, we may at first stumble and demonstrate more confusion than clarity. It is as though our eyes are still adjusting to the new spiritual light of Jesus. And it can be precisely in dialog that we achieve greater clarity about what we experienced as some words seem to ring with truth and others seem insufficient.
Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
When we receive significant transformation from Jesus it is often the case that the world is sufficiently disturbed and offended to demand and explanation from us. Rather than rejoicing in the increase of light they lament the diminishing darkness. This is part of the reason why we must be ready to give testimony.
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness (see Luke 21:12-13).
We will ultimately find that no one can answer for us, not even our parents. We must be the ones who believe in our hearts and confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord (see Romans 10:9), just as we hear from the blind man , ""I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him". What we see in the blind man is that even the questions from the world around us that range from hostile to indifferent can help to shape our testimony, and to clarify our confession of faith.
Then Jesus said,
"I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind."
Let us be among those who come to Jesus to receive the gift of enlightenment, not among those who are so attached to the darkness that we prefer to stumble around and insist on calling it sight. There is always more that the light of Christ can reveal to us, ever greater clarity about the reality of how he is, and how good and how beautiful.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Once we receive the light of Christ we can begin to see as God sees, through appearances to the heart. It is then that we can begin to discover, to celebrate, and even to participate in the otherwise hidden work of the Spirit in the world.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (see John 3:8).
Even the valley of the shadow of death is not dark when our shepherd is with us!
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