Sunday, March 19, 2023

Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:
– First Reading: I Samuel 16:1-13
– Psalm 23
– Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
– Gospel Reading: John 9:1-41

The liturgical color for the day is: Purple

For a large part of the story Jesus is not there.  The man holds to his experience of Jesus throughout the entire chapter.  Jesus being out of sight does not throw him off.  He has more than physical sight—he has true vision.  He has sight and insight too.

This is our story.  We live in a moment when it seems Jesus is out of sight.  And the real question, the hard question, the deep question is: How will we live in the times when we cannot see Jesus?  Or how will we do this when it seems we can’t see Jesus in this—all this that is going on in the world.

*

The passage is a barrage of questions to the formerly blind man about how it is that he now has physical sight.  The Pharisees are unrelenting in their insistence that this cannot be in keeping with how things should be done.  The parents are sell outs, and from the beginning the disciples are more interested in what caused the blindness over what Jesus can do here to free the man.

The man who was blind was the only one in the story who could see.  That seeing was less about his eyesight and more about seeing Jesus.

We tend to get so caught up.  We get caught up in the details.  We get caught up in the lists of things to do.  We get caught up in the obligations we have.  We get caught up in looking good, in having it together, in appearances, and in status.  We get so caught up…

We get so caught up that we can miss the wonder of God’s working that is right in front of us.  What do you see?  Do you see how God is transforming us?  Do you see God’s incredible love reaching out to you?  Do you see it?  It is there!

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Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk