23 Mar Who’s to Blame? A Modern Day Biblical Narrative
Since Jesus is all about shedding light, I think it’s fair to warn you that I read and processed today’s gospel in light of this past week’s democratic debate and the news. My disclaimer is: Such things may have influenced the tone of this week’s sermon.
“As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.” Apparently, something about the man made his condition obvious. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” The disciples initial reaction was similar to ours, if we’re honest.
“I wonder who’s to blame,” we say when people suffer. Why did they live or go to that bad neighborhood, anyway? Why did they work such a dangerous job? Why did they take such big risks? I wouldn’t have.
If we’re honest, such statements belie the fact that many aspects of our daily routines involve well thought out strategies in order to avoid failure. We all have “go-to” foods and beverages, go-to types of entertainment, clothing, and hi-tech devices to empower us. Much of what we do is an attempt to arrange aspects of life as best we can. In advance of hardship, we make choices, so we or loved ones won’t suffer or do without. It’s in our nature to associate blame with suffering. The Corona virus scare feeds into a human’s basic survival nature.
It was a Pharisee’s basic nature to worry about the purity of Jewish religious culture. Their job was to sort things out, figure who to blame, and reestablish proper order, not unlike we’ve seen recently through the intense efforts of government officials, medical professionals, and pharmacy retailers. But, underlying their efforts is another aspect of investigative work.
Fixing blame has become a national past-time. Every crime-related TV show is built around our need to effectively disguise mass feelings of helplessness. When people’s first reaction is anger, it’s a clue that they perceive a threat. When something’s about to get out of control, questions of blame pop up. What used to be a novel twist to entertainment has become its core.
Accusatory sentiments have spilled into news media for years, but in our current atmosphere, blame started its own pandemic.
Even two thousand years ago, pointing fingers kept people from having to think too hard. It reduced the amount of content they had to process. Our gospel readings confirm the fact that one negative stream of thought is capable of directing energy and sealing verdicts. Christ’s crucifixion is a prime example.
Words spoken toward or about someone makes it easier to label them as “a threat,” “bad” or at the very least, “wrong.” As someone who hates to make mistakes, I get that.
At least the disciples did one good thing, they thought to ask a question rather than make a statement. This in light of the fact that every debate moderator and journalist has proven time and time again that asking a question in a certain way is the equivalent of making a statement.
So, like the disciples, when the human immunodeficiency virus, better known as HIV came to the news forefront, many Christians asked the very same question they did. “Who sinned, these men or this country, that these men and this country have been visited with a death dealing, body ravaging virus? St. Augustine once explained the practice of slavery this way, “As a consequence of sin, some people are destined to serve others.”
In the 90’s, I was heavily involved with hospice. Volunteers were given a choice to interact with AIDS patients or decline. Since my children were very young and I didn’t want to take risks, I declined. I wasn’t as compassionate as I should have been. Until I listened to stories, saw photos and watched documentaries about AIDS victims suffering, I employed social distancing in much the same way we’ve been asked by our governments to do now. A virus, then and now, provides a reasonable excuse to avoid people without feeling a need to apologize.
I was glad to hear one doctor at a recent White House press conference speak up. With gracious wonderment, she marveled at what had been done regarding COVID-19 kits. She alluded to the years it took for the medical community to mobilize HIV testing and treatment. As I listened to her, I wondered if anyone besides me had also lived through those times and heard a word of judgment.
Speaking of judgment, Jesus says, “Nope, neither this man nor his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God’s works might be displayed in his life.” This can’t be read conclusively as a forethought cause, but it does become an end result. It’s clear that Jesus works as God’s instrument, displaying power to restore sight. Jesus has the ability to relieve conditions where darkness once prevailed.
After the blind man washed his eyes, the gospel dialogue reads like a news transcript after last week’s democratic debate. The person whose job it is to analyze the event is certain they can positively identify who did and said what. Fact-checking each man’s previous behavior in effect put him on trial. Known for once sitting and begging, even when telling the truth, someone doubts his motives. Accusations abound just because he seems to have benefitted from giving personal testimony.
Tell the truth. Were you or weren’t on the floor of the house voting against Social Security? Some said, “Yes, he was.” Others said, “No, it was someone like him.” Fortunately, the author of John is there to fact check what’s being said. But that wasn’t enough for some in the crowd. “Then, how did it happen? Tell us exactly.” He told them about Jesus. The reporters all shouted at once as they held out their microphones. “Where is he?” The man said, “I don’t know.”
In a frenzy, they pushed the man down to Pharisee headquarters. Once they told producers the man held back part of his story, they grilled him. “When did this happen? Don’t you know the crime that man committed? He’s not from God. How could he be? He voted the wrong way on the Sabbath bill.”
The author of John’s gospel speaks up and says, “Think about it. How can that be? Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God who wrote the commandment of the Sabbath.”
Divided, they turned to the blind man and said, “What do you have to say for him?” Shaken by his newfound fame, he could only mutter, “Seems to me, he’s a prophet.”
The pundits now did not even believe this was indeed the man who once was blind and received his sight. They went to interview his parents. “Tell us. Is this your son? Was he born blind? How does he now see?” Not wanting to get sued or end up on the Jerry Springer show featuring Jews Kicked out of the Synagogue, they fearfully said, “Yes, he’s our son and he now sees, but we don’t know how it happened! Go ask him!” Whew. So much tension in today’s gospel narrative/modern day plot.
As they hounded the former blind man once again, they yelled at him to give glory to God and call Jesus a sinner. He finally said. “All that I know he did was make me see, when once I couldn’t.” Chaos broke out. He said, “I told you and you won’t listen. Why do you keep asking me? Perhaps you want to meet him yourselves and hear it from him. Even I know that only one who strictly obeys the will of God could have done what’s never been done before.”
“Ha,” they said. Now you’re the expert. Go get your own TV show. Out of our studio, I mean, synagogue!”
Jesus found him in the wings, off stage, reeling from what had happened in such a short span of time. He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He said, “Who are you talking about? I am ready to believe in him if he’s the real deal. Tell me, so I can believe.”
Then Jesus spoke to him as he spoke to the Samaritan woman. “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He responded by saying, “Lord, I believe,” and worshipped him.
As is true for many individuals, the formerly blind man’s faith grew by degrees. At first, he was willing to concede like many in our day. Jesus was a prophet, a great religious figure like Mohammed or Buddha, but not divine.
As faith progresses or wanes, people lean in the direction of believing Jesus is actually God or begin to lean the opposite way, taking a less religious viewpoint. They may express confidence in a higher power while determining who to call it unimportant.
Or perhaps, in the future, like the former blind man, they’ll get to a place where they become lost for words. They’ll have no explanation for how things happened in their lives. Nothing will satisfy except to say, “Lord, I believe.” And, they’ll worship him.Jesus works as God’s instrument, displaying power to restore sight and relieve conditions where darkness once prevailed.
Let us pray.
Lord, you came to judge between blindness and sight. The power of your light offers healing to those who cannot see. At the same time show anyone, including us, who thinks they see better than everybody else, our own place of blame and sin.
Take away everything that stands between us and you, and all things that keep us apart as brothers and sisters. Heal the world of diseases that rob people of livelihood and life. Unite us in our care of one another during difficult times when fear and blame become the center of our discussions more than faith in you. Amen.