One of my favorite trips that I have taken in my lifetime quite easily has to be the trip that I took to the Holy Land. While this trip naturally sounds exciting, and can be for a variety of reasons, such as experiencing different cultures, looking at historical sites, or gaining knowledge, one particular thing really fascinated me and grabbed my attention above all else- it was the fact that I was able to walk where Christ walked. I was able to see a skyline similar to what Jesus would have seen. What’s more, they weren’t just that but they gave life to the scriptures. They gave me a place to see where Jesus would have said this thing or done that thing. They made the scriptures come alive- and truly see something in a new way.
This isn’t something that one can just experience in the Holy Land, though. In all reality, we can experience this in a variety of different places, when we go somewhere, or perhaps when we learn some new skill or new topic. We gain all of these things, these experiences, or even knowledge and wisdom and then suddenly we are thrown into a new world- one where our eyes are opened. Yet, in this time we are given a deliberate consideration of how our eyes function, not just in a physical sense, but a spiritual one as well. Are our eyes made ready and open to receive Christ, especially during these days where we are traversing our Lenten tasks of prayer, fasting and almsgiving?
We can begin to investigate this very idea by starting our with our first reading, which is taken this week from the book of Samuel. This passage gives us the story of the calling of David, and yet, it begins before we even know David’s name. In fact, this is so early that the Lord is sending out Samuel to anoint David as king- to indicate that he has been chosen as the Lord’s anointed- and as king in due time. So, Samuel is sent out on this task to anoint- though at the beginning, he does not know who this anointing is for, just that it is amongst the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. So he goes out, and finds the sons. He starts looking through them- though he has to be warned at the beginning by the Lord- do not look by appearance or lofty stature. So he goes through and looks through the seven sons of Jesse that are standing there before him.
Yet, even in those sons, the Lord had not chosen any of them. There is one more son that is out there- and Jesse indicates that there is the youngest who is tending the sheep- and this happens to be David. Jesse sends for him and it is only then that the command of the Lord comes through- there is the one! Anoint him! Thus, the spirit of the Lord comes upon David- but only after Jesse’s eyes were opened to David and to the fact that he was to be anointed- even though others might have seemed more worthy than he to receive such a thing.
The second reading comes from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This letter, as it goes to the Church in Ephesus indicates a particular theme- that they are called to be children of light- and that light specifically is the Lord. This is a unique theme, but it synchronizes very well with the rest of the scriptures, because it encounters a very real spiritual sense where Christ comes to scatter the darkness of sin and death. Thus, it is something that happens- and yet, there is the need to make a choice towards that light- and to not to assume that this light is something that is a merely passive encounter with the Lord, but rather it must be a deliberate choice towards that light and towards adopting that light as well.
Finally, we arrive at the Gospel according to John. As we join in this Gospel, we hear that Jesus passes by a man blind from birth- and the disciples ask what seems to be a rather odd question- “who sinned- this man or his parents- that he was born blind?” Now, to our modern ears that may seem that it goes against what we understand of how God operates- and it does because, though we know sin has consequences, they normally don’t play out in this way. So, Jesus answers- neither he nor his parents sinned- but this is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. What happens after this though is astounding- Jesus tells the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man goes and does just that- and the man comes back able to see.
The Gospel then goes into an exchange with the man’s neighbors, and eventually the pharisees- where there are all sorts of problems that creep up, including that Jesus did this on the Sabbath. Because of this they begin to discount what Jesus is doing and start to try to tear down the entire story- because they cannot yet see what Jesus is doing. Notice a beautiful theme that is coming into play here though- the man starts to testify what has happened- and the Pharisees refuse to believe. They cannot understand nor comprehend what Christ has done- and so they still wander around trying to figure out what has happened- and yet the man sees because Jesus has fully opened his eyes. Thus, there is a profound reality- out of everyone that can see that day- none can see more clearly than the man who was blind. This blindness is a spiritual reality- and the man comes out of that day not only possessing physical sight, but the sight within his soul as well.
Yet, as we consider all of these things we should be brought back to this central theme- a theme of enlightenment. Now this isn’t a theme as it is known to the scholars of our time, perhaps even to the most intelligent- but rather it is the reality of the way that we encounter Christ. The fact is that if we do not have the ability to see as Christ- or as God does- then we will not be able to see at all. But this goes back to some more fundamental things that we should consider:
First, what causes us to be blind? This is not a physical reality per se but it is certainly one that is still a reality nonetheless- and one that impacts us on a very deep level. If we go back to the Gospel, we understand that there is a man who is blind- and was born this way. However, when he was born blind- he did not remain so forever, but when he came into relationship with Christ, things changed. However, for each of us, there are things that can cause us not to see- or not to see very well at least. Most often these are the consequences of sin- and they can be very numerous. Or, perhaps we can even suffer just from a lack of faith or lack of understanding of what God is doing at this very moment in our lives. Yet, in all of these things, when we consider all of them- they give us, not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about- but rather a place where we are able to let Christ in.
This, then is the second point- letting the light come through- or being able to see by God’s own eyes. In particular we can see this occurring in the book of Samuel- when Samuel himself goes out to discover who the Lord had chosen as the anointed. He could have been deceived by so many things- but he trusted in the Lord and relied upon his own vision and sight- and kept moving until he eventually found the one the Lord was calling him to anoint- and that was David himself. How did Samuel do this, though? Only by trusting in the Lord and relying upon Him to reveal to him the one who was to be the anointed one.
Thus, we finally come to the point of consideration for each of us- and it is a point where we have to consider something honestly and openly with ourselves- do we trust the Lord enough to see through his eyes? Are we able to trust Christ enough to see things the way that He desires us to see them? When Saint Paul speaks to the church of Ephesus, he reminds them of that free choice that they have to be children of the light- and yet they cannot be the children of light if they don’t take action- or if they don’t call out to the Lord to be able to see the way that Christ does!
Thus, brothers and sisters- may our journey of faith be like my trip to the Holy Land. We are invited in to see things through Christ’s own eyes- and in a different way. May we all be able to enter into his vision ourselves.
