Readings:4th Sunday of Lent 20111 [Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13;Psalm 22:1-6;Ephesians 5:8-14;John 9:1-41;

or John 9:1,6-9,13-17,34-38]

“Why do you want me to repeat the whole story again? Do you want to become his disciples too?

I try to imagine the confidence of the blind-but-now-can-see man asking the Religious authorities this question. I believe it’s very hard to argue with the Pharisees because they are always right in terms of Jewish religious practices. But this question serves as a hiccup for them. They just couldn’t believe that a blind man for many years, whom they would have abused many times, ignored, and belittled, can now see very well. But there is more, they could not accept the fact that Jesus did it.

This healing story is quite different from the other healing narratives in  the gospels, because here, the blind man did not plead or beg Jesus to cure him. Jesus however took the initiative to get close to him, to touch him, to put a spittle on his eyes, and eventually to restore his sight.

Jesus did it for one reason. He saw that that there is a  need to do it, i.e. the need of the blind man to see, and the need of the Pharisees to accept him.

However, Jesus’ invitation to come into their lives received two different reactions. The blind man obeyed what Jesus told him. He went to the pool of  Siloam, he washed, and he saw. Meanwhile the Pharisees looked for a dark corner,  of their legal obligations, thus, they failed to see what Jesus wishes them to see, i.e. the REAL reason of their religious observance.

Many times in our lives, God wants to visit us. But we tend to ignore him. God comes to us both in bad and in good times in our lives. However, the problem with us is that when bad things happen, we blame God, but when good things happen, we take the credit to ourselves as our own doing.

Philip Yancey once said, “No one who encounters Jesus remains the same.” This is true of the blind man, but not for the Pharisees.

The reason behind this is that one opens his heart to  Him and let God  rule over his life, especially his need, while the others closed the doors of their heart to Jesus. Jesus could not force to get into the door of our heart because there is no doorknob from the outside, but only from the inside. He keeps on knocking though, until we let him in, or worst drive him away.

It’s Fourth Sunday of Lent now, and here we are continuing our Lenten journey following the way of the Cross.  So let us examine our lives. Let’s recall a time in our lives when God wishes to  come into our lives. Have we welcomed him, or we just ignored him?

It’s never too late. He is still outside waiting for us to let him in. He is waiting patiently, like the blind man waiting patiently for people passing by, hoping for people’s generosity. Let’s welcome him NOW…COME in LORD Jesus!