On the last Sunday of Pascha, we are given a Life-Changing image from the Gospels. Our Lord is walking in the temple during the feast of tabernacles, one of the major feast days of the Jews that commemorated the miracle of the Exodus…God leading His people out of Egypt. It is during this feast that on the Temple Mount, 4 massive lamp stands are lit in the midst of the people. These lampstands would illuminate the sky, because the temple was located on the high point of Jerusalem. It was a reminder of the pillar of fire of God’s light that illuminated the Israelites while they were in the desert. On this glorious celebration of the Light of God, Jesus comes into the midst of the temple, and says: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
The Jews were furious, and started to pick up stones to crush this man who speaks so boldly…this Rabbi who claims that He is the Light of God in the midst of the world. As they move forward in the massive crowd to destroy Him, Jesus hid Himself and went through the mass of the crowd and passed them by.
Before He leaves, Jesus sees a man that was born blind. We heard in the hymns last night at Vespers, what must have been going through this poor man’s mind:
The man blind from birth asked himself: “Was I born blind because of my parents’ sins? Or am I a living sign of the people’s faithlessness? I am not content to continue asking whether it is night or day. My feet can no longer endure tripping on the stones. I have seen nothing: neither the sun shining, nor the image of my Maker; But I entreat Thee, O Christ God, look upon me and have mercy on me!”
Can you imagine such a life? This man had never seen a sunrise. He had never seen the face of his parents. Darkness was all he had ever known, until one fateful day when our Lord took clay from the earth…and the creator of all fashioned this man new eyes. In one single moment, that darkness disappeared…for as Christ said: “I am the light of the world.”
Our eyesight, whether it be physical or spiritual, is so incredibly important. A few months ago, I happened to take my Lucy to an eye exam at the optometrist just down the street here. Dr. Mcdowell has a wonderful soul, and even though I wasn’t scheduled, he offered to take a look at my eyes as well. I was always blessed, despite many in my family having glasses, to have above average vision…and sure enough, the exam was going very well. Then at the very end, Dr. Mcdowell wanted to check one more thing…my reading vision. He did that thing with the lenses that anyone who has gone to the eye doctor knows about: “1 or 2”. As soon as he put down number two, I had that reaction that many others have had when sitting in that chair: “Oh! Clarity!” So yes, now just short of 40, even though I thought my vision was as clear as it can get, I have officially graduated into having low power “cheaters” (which I’m just to stubborn to put on during Liturgy)
I bring this image to you, because today’s Gospel account is not just about a physical healing…it goes much deeper than that. It is about learning to see the world with perfect clarity…to learn to see our life not in the midst of darkness, but illuminated by the Light of Christ.
After this great miracle, the Gospel account says that there was a division among the witnesses. We see right away how our Lord’s loving kindness effects those who see our Lord’s Light with clarity, and those who are shrouded in darkness. Fr. Zacharias Zacharou in his book “Thirst for Eternal Life” points this out to us when he says:
“…we see how the two edged sword that the Lord has come to bring upon the earth is made manifest. His fire…which enlightens some and consumers others is kindled. For man, Christ is both paradise and hell. For those who love his appearing and have a right relationship with Him, the Lord is paradise and gladness and ineffable Joy. Whereas those who have remained outside this saving relationship, the Lord is hell, and the fire of His love is insufferable.”
To the blind man and to those around him, the Love of God was incredibly faith filling and enlightening. To the Pharisees, the same miracle was painful to witness. What was the difference in these two groups of people? What makes one group experience Christ as paradise, and the other as hell? Humility.
St. Silouan says: “Humility is the light in which we may behold The Light which is God.” The Jews, filled with pride and fear that they might lose their influence, rejected the testimony of truth. Their hearts were hardened and they sought to discredit what their physical eyes had seen. Yet the response of the Blind Man was much different. He received his sight, and then immediately, humbly and simply, without hesitation, without saying “is this a trick”, confessed Jesus as God and sought to worship Him.
What is our reaction to the love and light of God in our lives dear ones?
God gave us a temple of the body. Do we care for it? Do we nurture it? When He asks us to fast, do we follow his instructions to us? Or do we abuse it with gluttony, lust, and laziness?
When we experience miracles, or healings, or answers to prayer, are we like the 1 leper in the Gospels who came back and gave thanks to God for the healing, or are we like the other 9 who dismisses it and goes on with our lives?
Do we return the love of God and put Him above all else in our life…worshipping Him, deepening our relationship with Him, and coming into Union and communion with Him at home and on days when services are offered?
Will we come to honor His Ascension this week…or find something in the world to occupy us instead?
How will we react to the gifts of love our Lord has offered us dear ones?
Let our prayer echo that of what we sang yesterday in the hymns of Vespers:
O Christ God, Thou Sun of Righteousness, by Thy touch Thou didst enlighten all. Give sight now to our spiritual eyes, and show us to be sons of the day!Great is Thine ineffable goodness towards us! O Lover of man, glory to Thee!