Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A)
Sunday, March 26, 2017
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes,
but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear” Jeremiah 5:21.
“For by and large, what blocks spiritual learning is
the assumption that we already know, or that we don't need to know. We have to
pray for the immense guidance that is offered us in the beginner's mind. We
need to say with the blind man, ‘Lord, I want to see.’”
–
Richard Rohr, OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation
Theme: Now I
See
Reflection: I am in awe of how people who are blind navigate their daily lives.
Between my experience working with people with disabilities and my service with
Lions Clubs, I have a number of blind clients, colleagues and friends.
I'm
astounded by how they use dog guides, white mobility canes, Braille, GPS
systems, screen readers, scanners and audio tools. I appreciate the way they
can compensate for their vision loss with their other senses and
technology.
At another
time of my life, I imagined that if I ever lost my sight, my life would change
drastically. My career as a newspaper reporter and photographer depended on my
ability to observe and describe every detail of a story. I am fortunate
that my extreme nearsightedness and astigmatism can be corrected with
eyeglasses. I am grateful each day for the clarity my prescription provides.
From the age of 8 and every subsequent time my lenses were updated, I
discovered more of the world that I did not see previously.
Today,
I wonder. If I was blind, how would I "see" the world in a whole new
way?
Today’s
lessons include a mix of people with vision impairments. The Lord corrected
Samuel for seeing Jesse’s sons through the lens of human standards, rather than
looking at their hearts the way God sees us. Samuel would have picked Jesse’s
tall, dark and handsome eldest son Eliab as king, while God chose the ruddy
baby of the family, David (Thank goodness for God’s 20/20 vision – Jesse had
left David in the pasture with the sheep!).
The
Psalmist, perhaps David himself, delighted in God's guidance to right
paths and restoration. Some of the Christians in Ephesus needed to be given a
clearer vision to walk in Christ’s light.
But
John's Gospel for today is full of blind people. Only one person was literally
blind. And though his eyes didn’t work, his perception was accurate. Even
without seeing Jesus, he grasped that this man was from God. As soon as his
eyes were opened, he saw the Messiah: “Lord, I believe.” Disbelief
clouded the eyes of his neighbors and fear blinded his parents. The Pharisees,
who knew what the scriptures foretold, refused to see.
I
think John invites us to choose where we “see” ourselves in the story. Maybe
we’ve studied the word, so we think surely we’re not blind. Perhaps disbelief
or fear clouds our vision. Or perhaps, with the blind man, we can say, “One
thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
And
once Christ frees us from our blindness, from the first time we catch a glimpse
of the Messiah and whisper even the faintest, “Lord, I believe,” we have a
lifetime to discover what we did not see before.
Faith App: Practice
seeing the world through the eyes of your heart. Discover the needs of a family
member, friend, co-worker or stranger through their unspoken communication.
Seek to understand and meet them where they are.
HYMN/SONG SUGGESTIONS
Amazing Grace, ELW 779
The King of Love My Shepherd Is, ELW 501
The Lord’s My Shepherd, ELW 778
We Are Called, ELW
720
Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness, ELW 843
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, ELW 815
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, ELW 332/611
Lead Me, Guide Me, ELW 768
You Dear Lord, ELW
702
You Never Let Go, Matt Redman
Shoulders, For
King and Country
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord, SonicFlood
I Am Free, Newsboys
I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash
LESSONS
1
Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord does not see
as mortals see.
Psalm
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want.
Ephesians
5:8-14 For once you were darkness,
but now in the Lord you are light.
John
9:1-41 One thing I do know, that
though I was blind, now I see.
Summary
of the Lessons: To see with
God’s vision means starting over and learning how to see anew, to see with eyes
of the heart, viewing the world in God-light. Once you do, you can’t help but
exclaim, “Lord, I believe!”
OPENING LITANY
based on Ephesians 5:8-14
L: Once you were empty, your heart ached to be filled,
C: Then light, holy and pure, pierced your darkness.
L: Transformed by the light, now live as children of
light,
C: Glowing within, reflecting radiance all around.
L: Practice seeing the world through God’s eyes of love,
C: Counter each injustice with mercy, despair with hope.
L: Expose division and deceit in the light of the Son,
C: Set aside your judgment – let love drive out hate.
L: Be present to the ways the light finds you hiding—
C: Awaken from your sleep and move into this day;
L: Arise from the dead and feel new life within you;
C: Accept Christ’s offer to show you so much more.
CONFESSION based
on Psalm 23
L: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want –
C: But I do want, Lord; my
cravings are never satisfied.
L: The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads
me beside still waters –
C: If you want me to rest and be
still, Lord; you haven’t seen the calendar I keep.
L: You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right
pathways for your name’s sake –
C: Even when you point the way, it
seems I keep getting off course.
L: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I shall fear no evil –
C: But I am afraid, Lord, very
afraid. Troubling news seems to multiply each day.
L: For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me –
C: I speak the words, yet feel so
lost. When I need you, sometimes I feel so alone.
L: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies –
C: Maybe, but I’m not going
anywhere near the people I don’t trust.
L: You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows –
C: If I am so rich in your
blessings, Lord, please remind me again.
(Silent
reflection)
L: In our confession, we pray together,
C: Most Merciful God … the reassurance you promise in this
psalm can be elusive when our lives are so busy and hearts so afraid. We place
our trust in personal assets and powers of this world, rather than your
protection and care for us. We simply fail to see how much you love us. Forgive
us, we pray, for being so blind that we lose sight of you.
Here
is Good News: From our first breath to our last, this promise is true:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Our cups overflow with God’s
infinite grace. You are forgiven and set free. Don’t worry about seeing all the
details, just believe this – you are beloved and belong.
In
the name of…
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
L: We pray together,
C: Revealing God … we pray today for enough vision to
expose our blind spots. Open our eyes to your light, so we can see clearly what
details we are missing in the world around us. Humble us, so we do not drive
away people who see the world differently than we do. Amen.
COMMUNION BLESSING
L: We pray together,
C: We give you thanks, most gracious God, for this meal you
set before us, covered with the bread of new vision and a cup overflowing with
grace. Send us to walk as children of light, observing all that is good
and right and true. Help us see people as you do, not judging by outward
appearances, but by looking into their hearts. Amen.
SENDING
L: Come out of the shadows,
C: Live in the light of Christ,
L: Do what is good, right and true,
C: Live with the love of Christ.
L: Go now, seeing clearly, to love and to serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God!
First Reading
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NRSV)
Setting the Scene: We enter the story midstream, as God
has rejected King Saul for disobeying his instructions. Both God and the
prophet Samuel were grieved over King Saul, but God knows it is time to move
on.
The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I
have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set
out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself
a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he
will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have
come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show
you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”
Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the
city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said,
“Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come
with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited
them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the
LORD’s anointed is now before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not
look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected
him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and
made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this
one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to
Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all
your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is
keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will
not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was
ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and
anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came
mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to
Ramah.
Second Reading
Ephesians 5:8-14 (NRSV)
Setting the Scene: The writer of Ephesians likely sent
this letter to multiple churches including the church at Ephesus. All the new
Christian churches had similar challenges – living in the world yet walking the
way of Christ.
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.
Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is
good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no
part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is
shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed
by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it says,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Gospel John
9:1-41 (NRSV)
Setting the Scene: Water and light continue to weave
through John’s narrative. This story continues from the Feast of Tabernacles,
which John uses as the setting in Chapters 7 and 8. The water of the pool of
Siloam is used for water ceremonies during the festival.
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples
asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born
blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of
him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long
as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he
spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s
eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then
he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had
seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit
and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is
someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him,
“Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud,
spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and
washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do
not know.”
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been
blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said
to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the
Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the
sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?”
And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say
about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received
his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight
and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he
now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was
born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who
opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents
said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed
that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.
Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind,
and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that
though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How
did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you
would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become
his disciples?” Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we
are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this
man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Here is an
astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my
eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one
who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been
heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not
from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in
sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.
Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him,
he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir?
Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him,
and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he
worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those
who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the
Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are
we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now
that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
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