sin AND GRACE

Sunday's Johannine lection is an eye-opener.

The disciples ask Jesus whose sin caused the blindness of the man: his or his parents'. Since the man was born blind, he was already a sinner inside his mother's womb! Actually, he was already a sinner even before he was even conceived since his parents were sinners!

Recently, I overheard a homily during a wedding ceremony. The pastor was telling the newly-weds that Jesus is the most important person in their relationship because the bride and groom were sinners. And Jesus will remain the most important person in their relationship when they become a family since all their children will also be sinners!

Why is Sunday's lection an eye-opener? Because the one who healed the sinner was also a sinner. Over and over in the passage, the Pharisees call Jesus a sinner (as well as the man who was healed). For the Pharisees, healing on the Sabbath was a sin. So was making mud! They were totally and willfully blind to the gifts of grace and healing before their very eyes.

Not just that, they would sooner collaborate with the Roman empire to have Jesus murdered than open their eyes and join him in sharing their gifts and fighting alongside the common people. Because Jesus is a sinner and the wages of sin is death!

I pray we do not think this. I pray we never turn blind eyes to the miracles of grace and healing that happen every day.

*art, "Jesus cures the Man born Blind," JESUS MAFA, Cameroon 1973 (from the vanderbilt divinity library digital archives).