Fourth Sunday Of Lent
JOHN 9:1-41 (1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5:8-14)
In the story of the man born blind, we first encounter an ancient belief that physical limitations are a punishment for the sin of the physically challenged individual, or in this case, also the sin of the man’s parents. The disciples ask, “Who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind?” There was plenty of Old Testament evidence for such a belief. For example, in Exodus 20:5 idolaters receive this promise, “I…am a jealous God, visiting the evil of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me….” What can be done with such a dreadful statement attributed to God? It should be understood as one of many such statements by which theologian-authors speak for God in an attempt to create God in their own image and likeness.
The prophet Ezekiel 18:20 directly contradicts Exodus 20:5, “The son shall not suffer for the sin of the father, nor the father for the sin of the son. The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” This leaves open the possibility that the man born blind is punish-ed for his own sin, not that of his parents. Some of the scribes were of the opinion that a child could sin in the womb. Thus the ridiculous lengths to which a fundamentalist “theo-logian” can go to protect the “truth” of the Bible. Jesus makes short work of this strange opinion, when he replies, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed in him.” Jesus closes the discussion with a claim to be “light of the world.” This statement serves as an introduction to the miracle of giving sight to the man born blind. John calls Jesus’ miracles “signs,” because they are signs or clues to the various identities of Jesus.
Jesus spat on the ground, made clay of the moistened ground, and anointed the man’s eyes. The reference to “clay” is significant. The formation of clay recalls the creation of the first human being “out of dust from the ground,” Genesis 2:7. By echoing the creation of the first human being, John implies that Jesus here continues the creation story of Genesis. In chapter one John identified Jesus as the Word who was with God and the Word who was God. “All things were made through him and without him was made nothing that has been made,” John 1:3. John does not see this miracle as a restoration of sight, but as the creation of sight or light for the man born blind. As noted above, John refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” of his various identities. The man born blind never had sight. Jesus created sight for him. This “sign” identifies Jesus as Creator. Later in the gospel John will depict Jesus saying, “My Father is working even now, and I am working.” Creation continues in Jesus, who as Son of God and Word of God was the blueprint and agent of all creation.
Jesus commands the man born blind, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.” Siloam was a reservoir at the bottom of the eastern slope of the city. It stored the waters of the Spring Gihon. Its water was used in the water ceremonies and processions of the pilgrimage festival called “Tabernacles,” (Tents). John uses some linguistic freedom when he interprets the word Siloam as meaning “one who has been sent,” although this may have been the popular interpretation of the name. John’s interpretation is fortunate, however, for the instruction of candidates for baptism. The man is blind. He is sent. He washes. He sees.
The unbaptized can be understood as “blind.” They are called (sent) to baptism. They are washed. They are no longer blind. Now they see with the eyes of faith.
The man with his new eyesight has work to do. He must defend before critical authority not only the fact that he was sightless before and now sees, but must also defend the One who created his eyesight. Twice he repeats the story of the application of clay and his obedience (on the Sabbath) to walk to the Pool of Siloam and to wash. The result: “and I see!” Therefore three times Jesus has been proclaimed Creator. This is not yet sufficient for John’s catechetical intent. The man has an opportunity to further identify Jesus. When his interrogators question him about Jesus, he replies, “He is a prophet!” Prophets did those kinds of deeds. For example, the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings 5, sent a Syrian general to wash in the Jordan seven times to be cured of leprosy. He went. He washed, “and his flesh was restored as the flesh of a little child.” Elisha’s miracle was only a restoration, not a creation, as the man notes, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind!” Note the reference to creation!
The role of the parents of the man born blind is important for understanding the context of the Gospel of John. The time is in the nineties of the first century. There were conflicts between Jewish synagogues and Jewish/Christian synagogues. Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah (Christ) were shunned from their Jewish synagogue, a form of excommunication. For John, the parents represent those Jewish/Christians who were afraid to openly profess Jesus. There may have been many of these “secret” Christians since they are already symbolized by Nicodemus in John 3:2, who “came to Jesus by night.” As the story continues there is one more title of Jesus to be revealed. Jesus meets the man, and himself asks, “Do you believe in the Son of man,” a title used of Jesus in all the gospels, often as equivalent to Son of God. The man represents the candidates for baptism as they make their profession of faith. “He answered, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And worshipped him.”
