Homily for 19 March 2023

 

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent Year A, the readings showcase the transcendence of God and the importance of recognising the true identity of Jesus as the light of the world.

In the book of the prophet Isaiah there is a beautiful verse which is very apt to understand today’s first reading, ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ 

If you were in the place of prophet Samuel and had to choose a king what kind of a person would you choose? A tall, strong, muscular man with 6 pack abs I suppose. Samuel too thought on similar lines but when God rejected all the seven sons of Eli who fit these criteria, he too was perplexed. The Lord tells Samuel that His criteria are not the external appearance rather it is the heart of the person. The youngest son of Jesse, David, was so insignificant that he was left out in the field tending the sheep. When David was brought forth, the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” The first king of Israel, Saul, was the kind of king the people wanted. However, the “people’s choice” had failed. Now, God will choose His king. The fact that David had been serving as a shepherd points to his future role as a king.  In the Bible, the shepherd is an imagery that is quite often used to describe kings and other leaders.  The spirit of the Lord empowers David who goes ahead to become a king who will unite all the tribes of Israel.

In the second reading taken from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the extract chosen follows a set of prohibitions regarding sexual immoralities like fornication, greed, vulgar talk, and idolatry. The text serves to remind the readers that formerly they were darkness, but now they are light in the Lord and therefore they are to live as children of light. The fruits of our living this life are found in goodness, righteousness, and truth. We are not to participate in unfruitful works of darkness, instead, we are to expose such wrong behaviours. Furthermore, our living a good life will serve as an inspiration to others to follow. 

Darkness can never dispel light. Light always dispels darkness. Light always wins. We as Christians are challenged to awaken from our spiritually inactive state—to arise from our spiritual grave. And when we do that we will not stand alone. Christ will shine his light on us.

In the gospel taken from St. John, we have the narrative of the man born blind who receives his sight. The story of the man born blind which we find in chapter 9 is closely linked with the Jewish festival of Tabernacles which is the setting for chapters 7 and 8 and Jesus being the good shepherd which is found in chapter 10. The festival of Tabernacles was an eight-day-long pilgrimage feast on which Jews went up to Jerusalem, besides celebrating the Sept/Oct. grape harvest, was marked by prayers for rain. A daily procession from the pool of Siloam brought water as a libation to the Temple where the court of the women was lighted by immense torches-thus the themes of water and light. The man born blind is sent to wash his eyes at the Pool of Siloam and Jesus declares himself the light of the world.

In the longer form of the gospel, the narrative begins with the disciples asking Jesus who was responsible for the person being born blind. Was it his parents or he himself? The disciples’ question assumes that suffering is caused by sin. Jesus however denies that the man’s suffering is caused by sin. Instead, his situation provides an opportunity for Jesus to heal the man, thereby revealing God’s works. God’s works can be revealed through hardship. Our faithfulness in hardship can be a compelling witness. However, we should not discount the fact that our sins do affect us and the people around us.

The man born blind is more than an individual; he has been developed as a spokesperson for a particular type of faith-encounter with Jesus. The blind man, having washed in the waters of Siloam exemplifies one who is enlightened on the first encounter, but comes to see who Jesus really is only later after undergoing trials and being cast out of the synagogue. This could be seen as a message to the Christian community who have had a similar experience, encouraging them that through their trials they have been given an opportunity to come to a much more profound faith than when they first encountered Christ. The intensifying series of questions to which the man born blind is subjected, the increasing hostility and blindness of the interrogators who eject him from the synagogue, the blind man's growing perceptiveness about Jesus under the interrogations, and the parents' apprehensive attempt to avoid taking a stand for or against Jesus-all these illustrate that how, with the coming of Jesus, those who claim to see have become blind and those who were blind have come to sight (9:39). The blind man begins to see Jesus first as a healer, then a prophet and finally as Lord, but the Pharisees are blind to the truth. In contrast to Jesus who is the good shepherd, the religious authorities come across as hard-hearted and uncaring.

Truly, God’s ways are higher than our ways. We won’t understand many things that are happening in our life right now. Even the great prophet Samuel did not know what God was doing. Neither was Mother Mary sure of what God was doing. Yet, they trust and surrender to God. One reason why the Pharisees could not accept Jesus was that He did not fit into their mould of who God is and what God is supposed to do. In our lives sometimes we pigeonhole God. Out of frustration and desperation, we too get hard-hearted and dictate to God what He should do and how He should do it. We like to play God. We are called to accept that when dealing with matters of God’s actions and will, human reason and sight is inadequate. It is in difficult moments like these that we have to let God take control just as He did in choosing David over all his other brothers. Difficult yes, but not impossible. This week, instead of spending time in front of the mirror focusing on our physical appearance, could we spend a little time in front of the Blessed Sacrament focusing on our heart instead and surrender to God the things that we do not understand and cannot control? Have a fruitful Lenten season. May God Bless us all.