JOHN 9:1-12 BEHOLD THE LIGHT OF GOD

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Like the man born blind we are born into this world as sinners, unable to naturally perceive the truth of God. The problem is characteristic of both our parents and us as individuals. It is the perspective of sin that causes us to attempt to place blame for our blindness. However, when we blame others for anything in our lives we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn and grow from our mistakes. In short, we make our blindness worse. We must first own our sin before we can seek to have it removed.

Just as the blind man was hopeless and left to “sit and beg,” we cannot remove ourselves from the darkness of our sin. Not only are we blind but we live in a world of darkness. Not only do we need our blindness healed, but we need a source of light in our world. Jesus is the Truth – the light of the world. Jesus is also the Creator of the world including man. Since he is the revelation of God’s nature, he is the light of truth and order that dispels the darkness of ignorance and chaos. Through the Incarnation reality can be “seen.” But we cannot see it until our blindness is healed. Our healing comes through re-creation. As we were originally made from the dust, Jesus recreates us so we can return to the light and “see.” In 2 Corinthians 5:17, St. Paul wrote: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Yet even in our healing, God honors us by allowing us the blessing of participation. God could do it without any action on our part. But God loves us and desires to be loved by us, so he gives us the responsibility for the final outcome of his healing love. Our loving, and thereby, healing response is one of obedience. Without “going to the pool and washing” we cannot know the light, or the blessing of being able to “see” the light.

Open my eyes. Lord, to the glorious truth of God. Remake me into your image and send me into the world rejoicing in the power of your love and mercy. May my path be lighted by your Word and my steps guided by your Spirit so that my life will gather others to your light and not be an obstacle to their healing. Amen.