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| Last
week's gospel about the woman at the well has a lot in common with
today's gospel about the man who was born blind. First, in both cases,
Jesus takes the initiative. He reaches out first. Second, in both
instances Jesus breaks the law. Last week, it was not normal for a Jew
to stop at a Samaritan town. It was against the law for Him to be alone
with this woman, especially, a woman of her reputation. And Jews and
Samaritans never would share a cup. The Samaritan woman even says,
"You, a Jew, ask me for a drink? You do not even have a cup." |
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the case of the blind man, Jesus is breaking the most sacred rule of
the Jews. He heals on the Sabbath. Blindness is difficult to cure, but
it is also difficult to diagnose. One man brushes his young daughter
away when she wants to show him her school work. Can't you see I am
trying to watch a game? Another father is so overwhelmed by his love
for his daughter, he writes the song, "Isn't She Lovely" in her honor.
His name is Stevie Wonder, the blind singer. Which man truly sees his
daughter, and which man is blind? A man ignores his wife. She wants to
know if he still thinks she is attractive. She wants to talk to him.
She wants him to listen to her. His response is, "Have you washed my
golf shirt yet?" Another husband is so overwhelmed by his love for his
wife that he writes her a love song. "You are so beautiful to me... You
are everything I hoped for, you are everything I need, you are so
beautiful to me." That song was written by another blind man, Ray
Charles. Which man is blind? |
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woman sits in church during Mass. The Word of God is spoken; the Bread
of Life is broken. She is thinking, "I wonder what I should fix for
lunch. Just look at that woman's coat. I'll bet it is not real fur."
Another woman sat in church. She was blind from birth. Her name is
Fanny Crosby. She later wrote these words about the Mass. "Perfect
submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture, now burst on my sight."
Which woman truly experienced worship?
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| Our
gospel text features this very same irony concerning blindness in its
various forms. The man is born blind, but healed by Jesus. The
Pharisees are born sighted, but move to spiritual blindness. And so, we
ask in this gospel, who is truly blind? What kind of blindness is
hardest to heal?
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notice how many times in this chapter that someone begins a statement
with a phrase... we know. But in truth, they did not know, and all
through the story, we see the Pharisees become increasingly blind. Blind
to the Son of God who stood in front of them. This is the hardest
blindness to heal, not the man blind from birth, but the men blind by
choice. Why would anyone choose to be blind by choice? Perhaps because
you can get used to the darkness, just as you can get used to the
light. Many of us have blind spots: blindness to racial prejudice,
blindness to what goes on in the company we work for, blindness to the
needs of others, especially those closest to us. |
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was another time that Jesus cured a blind man. This time the man came
to Jesus, knelt before Him and spoke a prayer that we might want to
whisper now and again. He simply said, "Lord, let me see." Let me see
the things I need to see, the people I have hurt, the wrongs I have
done. Let me see your goodness to me. Let me experience your love for
me. At all times, in all places. Lord, let me see.
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