Reflection on John 9:1-41

What a week.  What a week! 

As several people have said, “This week has been the longest month ever!” 

As you are all well aware, we have this virus spreading across the world that is acting like the class bully, picking only on the weakest of us.  So, in order to protect the weakest of us (the elderly and the health compromised) we have all decided to rise up together…I mean sit on the couch together…I mean sit on the couch at least 10 feet apart so that the virus cannot spread and hurt those we love. 

But, that is the rub right there, because it is already hurting the ones we love.  We cannot visit grandma in the personal care home, the children cannot go to school and see their friends, parents had to learn how to be teachers in under 24 hours when teachers get at least four years of training, employees have been let go from jobs temporarily, hospitals are fearful of what is to come with dwindling supplies, small business owners have been forced to shut down, money is tight, senior classes do not know if they will get to finish out the year…or have a prom, we are all quarantined to our homes, and on top of it all, we ran out of toilet paper…and bread…and flour…and yeast…and inexplicably I could not find toothpicks.  I mean, how many toothpicks do you need to test bread anyway?  Seriously. 

I would love to tell a joke to make it all a little better for you, but unfortunately, due to the quarantine I will only be telling inside jokes.

I have kept it light because some of this stuff is quite serious in reality.  People have lost loved ones.  A local family lost their home in a fire.  And, someone who is close to our family is fighting for his life in a hospital because a tree hit his head while it was being cut down.  On top of it, his wife cannot go into the room to hold his hand because of the prevalence of COVID-19.  She cannot even stay in the hospital for fear that she will contract the little ball of doom. 

Like I said, “This week has been the longest month ever.”

And, it all makes you wonder, “Why?” 

Why all the struggle? 

Why is this virus spreading? 

Is it punishment from God? 

Did God decide that He was going to knock off Grandpa because of the immorality of people three countries down the road and across the sea? 

Why is this happening?

The disciples ask this very question as they take a stroll down the street with Jesus.  They see a blind man and ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” because there must be a reason that the guy is blind.  I mean, it is not like eyes just fail to work on their own.  It is not like reading glasses are common after age 43…wait a second.

But, the questions do not stop there, even after the blind man is healed by Jesus.  People want to know, “How were you healed?” 

“Who healed you?” 

“Where is the guy that healed you?” 

“Where are your parents?” 

“How is it that he sees?” 

“How can a sinner heal someone?” 

And, in all of the questions that start piling up on one another just as a football team piles a huge mound of human flesh on the one who caught the interception, someone is lost in it all. 

The piling on happens today too as people question the integrity of the scientists, and the integrity of political figures, and the integrity of the data, and in all of the questions something gets lost.  Or, more to the point, someone gets lost.

Under the pile of the questions, the blind guy gets lost.  He is looked at and talked about, but he is not ever truly seen or talked to…not in any significant way anyway.  He is the football player at the bottom of the pile.  He is the poor guy on the side of the road.  He is the needle in the haystack that no one ever bothered to find because it is just a needle after-all.

In all of the questions and ponderings, the actual man is lost in the shuffle.  In fact, he is driven out of the city as the people continue to question and conspire, their voices trailing away as the guy leaves civilization.  He is now the quarantined guy.

But, he can see.  At least there is that.  At least one person took note for a brief moment in time, truly saw him, did not ask “Why?” or talk about him, but instead looked him in the eye, took the time to create a healing mud, put it in his eyes, and now he can see.  At least he can see! 

Unfortunately, there is no one around any longer to look at, now that he has been thrown out of town and all.  What is the use of seeing if you are invisible?

But, it is not true.  He is not invisible.  Jesus sees him on the edge of town, alone. 

Jesus approaches slowly and asks, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 

The man answers, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." 

Jesus looks him in the eye and says to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."

The man is not forgotten. 

The man who can now see, is the man who is seen by God.

God sees you too, you know.  I know life has been a lot, but you are not lost among the questions and quarantines.  You are seen.  You are seen by Jesus. 

And, I do not know how exactly Jesus is going to bring healing to all this mess.  I do not know how he is going to bring healing to you.  But, what I do know is that Jesus can take some dirt, make some mud out of it, put it in a blind man’s eyes, and that guy can see.  That guy is healed. 

And, if Jesus can take some plain old dirt and do that, then he probably knows how to heal your situation too.  Because, you are seen.  You are known.  Jesus does not get caught up in the questions and distractions.  He cannot.  You belong to him.