“As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.” Imagine for a moment what it might have been for the blind man who had been blind from birth, but suddenly could see again. Hmmmm. Perhaps that is also kind of difficult because the ability to see is something that most of us take for granted. From the day we were born, we did not have the dilemma of “Now that I am going to be able to see, what I should do about it?” Rather, more often, we choose not to see, not to sight. We choose to close our eyes, shut our eyes tight, and refuse to open it, to see the things that we ought to behold. Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” What does Jesus mean when he said that he is the light of the world? Is light simply to be known as light? Or is light to be known in contrast to something else? And what is it? It is namely darkness. When Jesus said that he is the light of the world, it is not a solitary light without context, but rather it is said in relation and in contrast to darkness, to things, events and people who opposes the light. Jesus the light of the world does not stand just as a beautiful statement but Jesus the light of the world seeks to be boldly proclaimed against the counter-forces and counter-cultures of today. Today’s Gospel is not simply about the imagery of baptism which we see the blind man undergoing when he was asked to “wash at the Pool of Siloam (a name that means “sent”)”, and it is also not just enough to see it as a catechizing faith for the blind man who progressed from calling Jesus the man, to being a prophet, to someone more than a prophet, and when Jesus revealed himself, the blind man acknowledges that he is the Son of Man and worshipped him. Today’s Gospel is calling us out to recognize where we may be in the entire passage. Are we the man born blind; the half-blind disciples; the blind man’s family; neighbours who are unsure; onlookers who are none the wiser; the Pharisees and Temple elders? Where do we stand in relation to Jesus, the light of the world? What are our choices? Today’s Gospel is telling us that discipleship has its cost and it comes with a Cross. Sometimes, as a shepherd, I am afraid that whenever we speak about the discipleship and the cross, discipleship sounds almost like a country club membership that have nice privileges rather than obligations and rights, and that carrying of the Cross, makes the cross sounds more like an ornamental object that is smoothen out and easy to carry around, rather than something heavy and difficult to carry around. We have sometimes forgotten that the cross means rejection, shame and suffering. The cross means sharing the sufferings of Christ to the last and to the full. For when Christ bids us to follow him, he bids us to arise and die with him. Just as “the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on” we too have the same experience of being seized by the Lord on the day of our baptism when we are configured to the image and likeness of God, and called to brothers and sisters of Christ. The mark of discipleship and the cross is imprinted upon us when we are baptized, and Christ the light bids us to walk in his way, and to be as bold as the blind man was, and if we are bold in our belief, it leaves without doubt that the world will oppose us as how the blind man was opposed, and we will be ridiculed as how the blind man was ridiculed, and we will be persecuted as how the blind man was persecuted. Or will we be like the half-blind disciples or the family and onlookers who both had a wrong image of God or who rather stay neutral on the issue and be fence-sitters. Or are we like the spiritually blind Pharisees who simply refuse to recognize Jesus as light of the world? So what does it mean to be in the light of Christ? Perhaps there are three aspects we can take away from the blind man today. The first is obedience. The blind man was obedient to the Lord, and when he was asked to washed his eyes in the Pool of Siloam, he simply obeyed and went. Our Christian life is a life of obedience. When we obey the Lord’s commands, we will be able to see, and radical changes will take place in our understanding, our perception and lifestyle. We will pursue not for the things of the world but Jesus Christ, until we loose all things and ultimately our lives in him. The second is simplicity. The blind man was simple in the belief of his healing and the simplicity of his speech shows it. At the end of the day, at the end of our lives, it is not the number of words that is going to define how much we know about Christ, but the simplicity and steadfastness in which we acclaim Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The third is boldness. The blind man was bold in his belief and his speech. When one takes on the mantle of being a Christian disciple, he or she should never be apologetic about his or her beliefs. I think that is one of the scourges of today, a result from us trying to be politically correct or to be not seen as a Jesus freak. “I am sorry that I wear a large crucifix that it made you uncomfortable… I am sorry for being such a spoilsport for abstaining from meat and movies on Friday… I am sorry for making the sign of the Cross as before I have my meals… I am sorry for dressing modestly to church instead of the latest fashion.” We are becoming a very sorry cultured Catholics! We need not be apologetic for what we hold to be true and right! While it is true that we should never impose our beliefs on others, but that does not mean that we do not propose Christ to everyone we meet. Jesus said, “It is for judgment that I have come into this world” and it is with this dark note that Jesus ends this passage. Basically he is telling you and me that the dividing line is drawn. We are either with Jesus or against him. We either live in the light or dwell in the darkness. We are either made holy through the waters of baptism and live in Jesus’ presence, or we are stuck in our sin, blind, refusing to worship God. The more we live in the light, the more intolerable those who serve and live in darkness will find us. Ultimately the world rejects us and those who stand in opposition to its evil. “You were darkness once, but now you are the light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast.” Jesus desires us to see and be his light to the world around us. Only when we admit our blindness and our need for him, can he then spit and mix his saliva with mud and smear it on the eyes of our souls, and send the Holy Spirit seizing us and cause us to walk in the way of Christian discipleship. Together as a community with Jesus “anything exposed by light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light.” Rise, let us be on our way. (Homily given at Holy Cross Church on 30 March 2014, Fourth Sunday of Lent)
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:18:47 +0000
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