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THE SCANDAL OF THE MAN BORN BLIND
“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’” (Jn 9:1-3)
Certain “works of God” are revealed in the man born blind, – that is, a man born quite different from most people, because he didn’t see as others saw. His not-seeing as they saw scandalized his co-religionists, so they even presumed it was because of “sin.”
Which “works of God” are revealed through this scandal, this challenge that the man was to his co-religionists? For one thing, he demonstrates to others that vision is a work of the creative hands of God, Who “works” on our vision not only or even primarily in our mother’s womb. The story of the healing-process of this man includes his heeding Christ’s word and walking and washing off the clay that the Lord put on his eyes in the pool of Siloam; his testifying to Jesus as the One who healed him and getting “cast out” by his religious authorities because of this; and, finally, his coming to believe in Christ and worshipping Him when the Lord finds him and speaks with him after he got cast out.
All of that, my friends, is how the man born blind reveals to the rest of us how the Son of God “works” on our vision, “that those who do not see may see” (Jn 9:39). It’s relevant to all of us, because we are all born blind. Some of us choose to remain blind, if we prefer merely-human religion to God-given faith. The latter, God-given faith, is impossible without a humble acceptance of Christ’s way, the way of the Cross, through which He teaches and touches us and works His works through us, separating us (sometimes painfully) from merely-human religion. And sometimes this involves us walking through our city with mud on our face. Thank You, Lord, our true Light, Who shines and works in our night, through the scandal of Your cross.
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Sister Vassa has been under a good deal of strain and pressure as of late. This is due to her being attacked by her bishop - and losing her monastic habit due to an unjustifiable disciplinary action by ROCOR's Synod of Bishops - for her relentless critique of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In fact, she has sought refuge under the episcopal authority of a Ukrainian Orthodox bishop. She has developed a genuinely prophetic voice in support of the Gospel over the years. Please keep her in your prayers.
