Walking with Jesus: Fourth Sunday of Lent

For Sunday, March 19, 2023

1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Some questions as we continue on our Lenten journey: Do I really believe that God is present with me every moment? Do I believe that God cares about me and hears me when I call out to Him in prayer? Do I believe that God answers my prayers just the way I want them to be answered? Do I believe that I have to be “good” or “obedient” to have my prayers answered?

Do I “turn off” God when my prayers are not answered? Do I share my experiences with God about prayer? Am I looking for the “secret formula” that should be used to have my prayers answered?

Maybe the bottom line is: Do I compare myself to the Pharisees who “assumed” that they knew exactly how God acts in the world? What is my God like? Does it agree with today’s Gospel?

Sidelight: God is always present. We struggle to admit that God steps in and pays attention to our prayers. Today’s Gospel about the man born blind teaches us that we all struggle with unbelief. Staying faithful means believing we have been touched and healed.

The books of Samuel originally were entitled the Books of Kingdoms. St. Jerome later modified this to Kings. Now they are called the books of Samuel, the leading character of the first book, who was responsible for the installing David as king. David’s history occupies the second book. Saul ruled over Israel as just another kingdom. He did not realize that kingship required him to be a servant of God. Now God is removing him and sends Samuel to anoint David as his successor.

Samuel feels that he will be able to recognize which son of Jesse will make the ideal king. He is judging on the external — not the internal — qualities that God seeks. Samuel must learn to rely on God to choose a king who will truly shepherd His people. When David is anointed king, the spirit of the Lord rushes over him. As long as David follows the Spirit’s lead, he will truly serve the people well.

Sidelight: This first reading tells us something of ourselves. We all are preparing to renew our Baptismal vows reminding us that God has chosen us unexpectedly and sees even us as worthy of being chosen. We were anointed with oil at Baptism — Confirmation too — and the Spirit of the Lord “rushed upon” us. Our call: to be witnesses of God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness to all.

Paul encourages the Ephesian believers to learn what pleases the Lord and to seek “… every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” [Ephesians 5:9] (This quote is included in an early Baptismal hymn.) Its purpose is that we should continue to walk in the Lord’s light, which shows us that we are light and are to be light. We are not to walk in darkness, but to show God’s light in us.

John calls this section of his gospel “The book of Signs.” He includes seven signs or miracles in the first half (chapters 1-12). A sign here is a miracle Jesus works that points beyond God. It shows repeatedly that Jesus is the light of the world. Today’s miracle causes the healed man quite a bit of difficulty: First of all, he never has asked for a miracle. All he is doing is continually telling the truth. The immediate question is: Who really is blind in this story, and who can really see? Am I blind to God in my life? When the Pharisees enter the story, we understand immediately that they don’t really care about the man’s healing — just that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Shame, shame, we know God would never do that — we are His teachers and know everything. The healed man declares that Jesus is a prophet. How can you know anything? We are the teachers of Israel.

The man’s parents enter the story and are afraid how to answer the Pharisees because they might be expelled from the synagogue. The man believes ... he always has. The Pharisees’ spiritual blindness continues fermenting their belief that only they know God. Upon healing the man, Jesus tells him: “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam —which means Sent. So he went and washed and came back able to see.” [John 9:7]  John’s emphasis is on Jesus’ being the one sent by God. But Sent also refers to Jesus sending each of us. We are to listen to what God is telling us to do … then actually do it. We have been chosen … we have been blessed … we have been called to be Jesus to those we interact with each day. God loves me. How am I loving? Am I restrictive or selective because I think I know the right way? Many lessons today.

So I reflect on:

• Where is my Siloam — the place where Jesus is sending me? Have I been reluctant to go?
• Lent is a sober season. I am not only sent to suffer; I can also bring joy … tender conversations with friends … all in all the generosity of the gifts I have received.

Sacred Space 2023 states:

“What did he see? His eyes were opened to the light of faith, that Jesus was the son of Man. Can we pray that our eyes are opened to see the face of God in everyone we meet? And in everyone, friend or foe, for whom we pray?”