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Reflection on the Word: March 26, 2017
Scripture – 1 Samuel 16:1-13; John 9:1-41
“Seeing In Another Way”
I expect that for many of you the story of the man born blind is a familiar
one. As often is the case when we read scripture, it is a story that speaks
to a whole lot more than physical blindness and healing.
Jesus is alerting us that we are all blind in some way or other. For some,
like the blind man, it is a physical reality; for others it is an inaccurate
worldview; for others, like the religious authorities in the story, it is a
willful desire to maintain a status quo that serves them well.
Our own blindness, and we are all blind in some manner, may be caused
by any of these reasons – or by pride, jealousy, prejudice, complacency,
apathy, fear, and so on.
True vision comes when we recognize that what we see, what we think we
know, is often defined by the limitations of our own particular life
experience, context, and values. Jesus calls us to be those who see in
another way – according to God’s truth and God’s vision - and to live by
that divine inner sight.
The kind of seeing that is exemplified by Jesus is one that looks not at
outer appearance, but sees to the heart of the true person. As disciples of
Christ, we are called to look beyond the structures and assumptions of the
world and society in which we live. We may have to stop seeing things as
we have always seen them; or refrain from slotting events, people, and
ideas into convenient boxes which often limit and degrade. We may be
pushed to leave our comfort zone in order to get to know another and see
that person for who he or she really is. We may be forced to give up our
illusions that there are a limited number of people we need to love and
that, as for the rest, it really doesn’t matter.
man’s blindness, something he never sought, occurred on the Sabbath –
they wanted to know who broke the rules. And they subject the once blind
man and his parents to a lengthy inquisition, which in our day and age we
would call nothing less than bullying.
In the Old Testament reading, the prophet Samuel comes to anoint a king
and it is only after considerable disappointment that the disregarded
youngest brother is recognized. God breaks the tradition within Hebrew
culture by choosing the youngest son, David, to be king of Israel. God saw
beyond the traditions, beyond a shepherd child, and saw the heart of a
godly king.
How far do we need to look beyond our prejudices and
expectations to see as God sees?
Sometimes we are looking so hard for the answers we want to find, we
miss what is really there. For example, so convinced were David’s family
that he could not possibly be the person God wanted for ruler that they
never thought to call him in from the field. One of the first things the man
born blind saw was the bickering of key leaders in the community over
whether he was really healed, and/or whether or not he deserved to be
healed.
For many people in our world, these stories are very real. Too many people
feel ignored, de-valued, belittled; or find others arguing, as if they weren’t
there, about their rights to exist and be present and to share in all the
opportunities and privileges that the majority enjoy. It is in the face of this
that we are invited to read and celebrate these scriptures this week, to let
their strong voices come out, reminding us of the powerful truth of 1
Samuel 16:7: “God doesn’t look at things like humans do.” We see what
we want to see, but God sees all of us. God sees to the heart.
When I was reading in preparation for today’s sermon, I was struck by a
commentary on the story about the healing of the blind man which said:
When have you been pushed beyond what you once thought so
certain, both in faith and in terms of what you believed about
people? What did you learn?
“This story isn’t about replacement of darkness with light. It's about
overcoming our fear of people who are different from us and welcoming
them into our faith communities. We need to recognize accessibility and
welcome as core practices of our faith so we can follow God's call to invite
all people to participate actively in the growth and mission of our churches.
It can be astonishing the lengths to which people will go to discredit others.
When we don’t understand someone or something, we can try with great
gusto to put others down, or to deride their stories. Such is the case in
today’s gospel reading, where, instead of rejoicing in a healing, the
Pharisees or religious leaders delve into minute details, and the story is
ripped apart. They are so focused on rules (Sabbath in this case) that they
are unable to see what God is doing in their midst. Since the healing of the
In order for our churches to live out the message of John 9, we need to
start paying attention to the perspectives of people we often ignore,
including people who wear the label "disability." We need to create an
environment where fear of differences is replaced by encouraging all
people to share their gifts even when God calls some to lead us in ways
that threaten the status quo. We need to stop insisting on arbitrary
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barriers and labels such as those related to age, race, gender, sexual
orientation, social status… and instead begin to see all of our neighbors as
real people whose witness matters. The world often pushes us to compete
or conform, but God calls us to a different way: working together, needing
each other, being the body of Christ.”
In that line, I received an email this week which contained a video clip of a
talk that was given to an assembly of students by former professional
wrestler Marc Mero. Looking at his profile as a wrestler, and with a history
of drug abuse, he isn’t the person most of us would choose to be
addressing our children or grandchildren. And yet, speaking from the
heart, he delivers a powerful message, and you can see by the looks in
their eyes and the expressions on their faces, that these young people not
only hear his story, but that it has a huge impact.
Marc Mero’s own story of transformation is one that God uses to lead
others to examine their lives and their choices, and to realize their own
unique value and the importance of how they treat others.
VIDEO clip
Once we have seen with our heart -- and according to God’s truth and
God’s vision - - we can’t go back to the same world. When we have
experienced the power of God and been able to see as God sees, we
cannot help but see issues and people differently. As God told Samuel:
People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in
their hearts.”