“Not as man sees does God see”: A Listening Church
1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Going by human predictions, we will be having an unprecedented Easter celebration this year, 2020–Easter celebration without the habitual gathering or congregation. With recourse to our medical science, we know the circles of viruses and human expected reactions. Our experts are of the opinion that we are in it—COVID-19—for the long haul. We are advised to reschedule, postpone or shelve our plans altogether. Come to think of it: do we have as much knowledge of God and his workings, as we do viruses? Our readings today teach us how to behave in the midst of uncertainties and doubts—to listen to God!
Our relationship with God takes place within our human limitations. The story of the choice of David, as king of Israel, appears improbable from the start. The coordinates appear faulty or inadequate. Samuel seems to have a lee-way or a maneuvering room to choose a king among the sons of Jesse: no name given to him and no determining physical characteristics indicated—a free hand, Samuel presumes. Interestingly, God usually goes beyond human limitations, he perfects it the way he chooses. This is the lesson of our readings, it is about the gift of salvation and the choice of those who qualify to receive it. How ironic, the only person absent from the sacrificial assembly, David, is God’s candidate for kingship, the choice of God?
Today, God invites us to think outside the box. The so-called “seven” as sign of perfection in Judaism is challenged by God: Jesse presented SEVEN sons to Samuel to choose from, but God rejected all seven! God goes outside “perfection” to perfect an “imperfect” choice—David. “Are these all your children” changes the dynamics of God’s choice, because God puts all on-hold waiting for his choice to arrive, before the sacrifice and anointing can take place. This is a choice that reminds us that the eighth and ninth—whatever the number maybe—are also God’s children; that outside the perfection of Israel, and beyond its borders, God’s elects/children are present, waiting to be identified within the fold of God. Doesn’t this call for happiness—Laetare Sunday?
A sinner, because born-blind, epitomizes the verdict of God, in the judgment of the Jewish leadership. Our gospel reading depicts how human logic defines for God, who is acceptable and who is outside of God’s love and the eligibility for adoption as God’s child. Physical appearance trumps other considerations, just as appearance was Samuel’s first criterion for the choice of a king, in our first reading. On account of being born-blind, primordial and irredeemable sin was imputed to the man-born-blind, as he remains nameless to posterity! At least, the absolution and vindication of Jesus is good starting point: “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him”. How many people see the latent glory of God in a sinner: that through defects, plagues and pandemics “the works of God might be made visible”?
It was the crowd, members of the Jewish community, that started the question of the redefinition of sin, by asking Jesus about the meaning of sin vis-à-vis being born-blind. Jesus replies, “Neither he nor his parents sinned.” The authority of Jesus’ response was not enough, they took the man-born-blind to the Pharisees to resolve and reconcile their teaching on sin. From the denial that the man was born-blind to the confession of the man-born-blind’s parents corroborating his blindness from birth, the Pharisees make Jesus the recipient of the day’s condemnation—this man, Jesus, is a sinner because he heals on a Sabbath—“We know that this man is a sinner” (How many of us are not thinking that Pope Francis, cardinals, bishops and priests are sinners for cancelling Masses around the world because of COVID-19? That it is better to go to die in churches, instead of saving the human person from COVID-19?).
There is a problem of listening here, the crowds and the Pharisees weren’t listening! Samuel fared better because he was able to hear God’s rejection of the seven sons of Jesse presented to him, and was able to reach for David, against natural logic. Listening and blindness are complementary: while blindness shuts out the external and awakens the internal, listening brings out what is internal to the outside, to the fore. The Pharisees reject this logic with their statement to the man-born-blind: “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” There was no listening taking place, so blindness was inevitable.
The message of this Sunday is simple: God’s determination to save humanity beats hollow the human imagination and constrictions and defies every conceivable logic. No one arrives late for God’s salvation and it is impossible to be outside his redemption. The social outcasts, like the man-born-blind, find their humanity in-built beyond physical blindness, located where God alone could see and judge—the heart. God’s choice includes the nobodies, like David, left to tend the sheep and look after what the elite and the great have no time for; those not even considered fit to be invited to a family sacrifice; those whose presence are deemed inconsequential for the smooth running of social, political and religious affairs.
Today’s message is for you and for me. No one has an excuse either to consider himself/herself left out of God’s plan of salvation under whatever pretext. Quite often, we eliminate and delist ourselves because of our perceived weaknesses and inadequacies. The good news is, God has a place for you and me, just as he did for David and the man-born-blind. If we trust Paul, in our second reading, we are already redeemed: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord”. This is the verdict of God because of the redeeming death of Jesus Christ, not on account of any merits—it is pure grace, “writing straight on a crooked line!” Isn’t this a cause for happiness—Laetare Sunday?
According to Paul, there is hope for everybody provided that we realize and accept that we are not dead yet, but simply sleeping. For those who sleep, there is a possibility of waking up to greater things: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” The death of sin makes its power felt in the discouragements it brings. It is by waking up from our sleepy sin that we reclaim our rightful places in God’s plans of salvation. We need to become lights and learn to keep our lights burning, as Paul suggests: “Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord”. Despite COVID-19, there is reason to rejoice because even with a pandemic, God loves us and will intervene to restore our joys again. You know, “Not as man sees does God see”.