Surely We Are Not Blind, Are We? (John 9:1-41)

 

 

Today we reflect on Jesus as a prophet who comes for judgment. This idea speaks directly to many of the questions we face in today’s world. As we look around us, at issues of security, borders, refugees, healthcare, hunger, poverty, violence, and war, we wonder how faith speaks to these realities. What does the prophetic Jesus say about our lives, our responsibility to one another, and our world? His voice calls us to rethink what it means to be a neighbour, especially to those who differ from us, frighten us, or seem to threaten us. We do not often think of Jesus as a prophet, yet in the Gospel story of the man born blind he is recognized as one. Jesus then says, “I came into this world for judgment.” This judgment, however, is not primarily about condemning people or deciding who is right or wrong. Prophets open people’s eyes. They reveal what is and point toward what could be. Their judgment stands between these two visions, calling us back to our truest selves. The judgment Jesus brings is about how we see. The healing of the blind man points to a deeper truth: spiritual sight. The real question is whether we see with open eyes or closed eyes.

 

When we live with closed eyes, we withhold mercy, allow fear and anger to control us, and refuse to forgive ourselves or others. We overlook the pain and needs of others because we are too busy, too comfortable, or too afraid to respond. When we value ourselves more than our neighbour, judge by outward appearances, or allow violence and division to guide our actions, we are seeing with closed eyes. But there are also moments when our eyes are open. We recognize injustice and feel another person’s suffering as our own. We act with compassion, seek peace, forgive, and work to restore broken relationships. Our eyes open when violence in the world troubles our hearts and when we choose understanding instead of division. In those moments we see more deeply, as God sees, looking into the heart of the person or situation.

 

Jesus did not say he came to make judgments, but that he came for judgment. His very life becomes the judgment. His compassion judges our indifference. His justice judges injustice. His mercy judges condemnation. His forgiveness judges guilt. His welcome judges exclusion. His hope judges despair. His nonviolence judges violence. His truth judges lies. His light judges darkness. His life of prayer challenges our self-sufficiency, and his simplicity questions our restless and cluttered lives. Even his suffering and resurrection stand as a judgment on the powers of the world and on death itself.

 

The call of Jesus is for us to live differently, with eyes open to both the beauty and the brokenness of the world. When we truly see, we are invited to help close the gap between what is and what could be. At the heart of Jesus’ judgment is love. With open eyes he sees more goodness, beauty, and holiness in us than we often see in ourselves or in one another. His judgment invites us into a new way of seeing—a new life and new possibilities for our world. So, the question remains for each of us: Where does Jesus’ judgment meet our lives? Where does our seeing differ from his? What is he asking us to change? Surely, we are not blind, are we?”

 

- Lilly Pushpam PBVM