The gospel for this Sunday is a story about Jesus healing a man who was blind from birth. The story begins with Jesus and his disciples who, while passing by, saw the man on the street. Since the man was born blind, the disciples asked Jesus who sinned between the man and his parents. Jesus responded that neither the man nor his parents sinned, but rather the man's blindness was that God's works be displayed in him. Then, Jesus spat on the ground, and with the saliva, he made some mud, which he put on the man's eyes. After that, he told him to go to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man did as he was told and he was miraculously healed. The man's neighbors and the Pharisees were amazed and questioned how the man recovered his sight. The Pharisees, who were religious leaders, were doubting the man's story; so, they called his parents for proof. The parents confirmed that the man was indeed born blind, but they were afraid to speak out against the Pharisees. Jesus found the man and revealed himself to be the Son of God, and the man believed in and worshiped him.
The story reveals the limitations of the Pharisees and their legalistic approach to faith. They are unable to see the truth of what has happened before their eyes, and they are unwilling to accept the miraculous power of God at work in the world. This rejection of the miraculous power of God is a reminder for us that we must always be open to the unexpected and the miraculous in our own lives. We must be willing to let go of our own preconceptions and allow God to work in ways that we might not understand. We, seminarians, have our own assumptions and beliefs about the causes of suffering and disability. We must recognize that all people, regardless of their physical or mental abilities, are created in the image of God and deserve love and respect. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zones and engage with the brokenness and pain of those around us, recognizing that it is in these moments that God's love and mercy are most powerfully revealed.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a reminder for each one of us that no matter how broken we might be, there is always hope for healing and redemption in the hands of our loving and merciful God. May we be open to the unexpected and miraculous ways so that God's grace may work in our lives and the lives of those around us. May we be faithful servants of His transformative power in the world. As we journey through life, may we be open to the transformative power of God's grace and the ways in which He can heal and bring us into a deeper relationship with Him.
