A good Sunday for everyone.

The description of the healing of the man born blind, narrated only by the evangelist John is placed in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was the most important of the feasts. It was called: ‘the feast par excellence’. It was celebrated in autumn and marked the end of the harvest and the agricultural season. One can, therefore, understand the joy of a whole people who gathered the fruits of hard work of a year. The feast lasted 7 days and the center of this feast was the temple of Herod, which you see in the background.

Notice also the path that descended from the temple to the lower city, where the pool of Siloam was. It was a very large pool, it had 4000 square meters of extension. The water in this pool came from the spring of Gihon, indicated also in the background. This water from the upwelling was channeled to the pool through a tunnel carved into the rock at the time of King Hezekiah (we are in the year 702 BC).

It was an immense job to dig the rock of this tunnel that is 530 meters long and it took two years to dig it. And the water from the Gihon upwelling came to flow into the pool of Siloam. The name of the pool comes from the name ‘shilua’, which comes from the verb ‘shalaj’ which means ‘to send’. And it is around this verb ‘to send’ that the evangelist John wants us to reflect: ‘water sent’ and John will say: water of the one sent from heaven, who is, of course, Christ; but we will see this later.

What characterized this feast are two elements:

The first is the liturgy of water. Every morning the high priest descended the road, along the path that I have indicated, with a golden jug and went to draw water from the Siloam Pool. Siloam water was considered pure because it came from the spring. In celebration, a multitude accompanied the high priest among songs of joy, the Levites played their trumpets, drums, zither. After drawing water, the high priest along with all the people, returned to the temple and poured this water on the altar.

What was the meaning of this rite? It was an invocation to the Lord to send the autumn rain which is very important in sowing. And on the seventh day, this rite was even more solemn because before pouring the water, the high priest went around the altar seven times.

Why are we concerned with this ritual of water? Why did Jesus attend this feast and what did Jesus do? Precisely in this context, he raised his voice and presented himself as the source of the living water. He shouted in a loud voice: “He who thirsts to come to me and drink” “He won’t be thirsty any more,” he had told the Samaritan woman. The water you are going to draw from the pool is material water, but there is another water that really gives life; it is the Spirit that he brought from heaven, the divine life.

Jesus says that our waters does not quench the thirst because they are water that we are going to look for at the source, at the wells that are then dried up. The material wells where we are going to seek the realization of our lives end up drying up. Jesus says that the true source of living water ‘is me’. Precisely in the context of the rite of water in this holiday of the Tabernacles.

There was also a second element that is very important to keep in mind, so that we can then understand the message of the Gospel text. It is about the festival of light. The city of Jerusalem was completely illuminated with torches and four of these torches were very large and were in the women’s courtyard (in the temple). The men danced on the esplanade of the temple with burning torches. Then they went to visit the sick, those who were mourning. It was necessary to bring to them, too, the joy of this feast.

And it also is in this context of the Tabernacle feast that the festival of light took place, when Jesus raises his voice and presents himself as the light of the world. “He who follows me does not walk in darkness, but has the light of life. I am the light of the world.”

And the healing of this man born blind is narrated in this context. Jesus has healed many blind people, but the way the evangelist narrates the healing of this blind man becomes a parable of the passage from darkness to light that we, also, are all invited to do.

I think there is no other verb like “to see.” Metaphorically we use it continuously. Thus, we say: ‘open your eyes and see that you are being cheated… you are about to buy a house that is a shack… open your eyes… don’t you see that they are cheating on you?’ Also, we say about a pessimistic person that “he sees everything black.” A miser sees only money. We also say that ‘one sees far’.

This verb ‘to see’ used metaphorically must be kept in mind to understand the path of this blind man that Jesus finds during the holiday of the tabernacles and is brought to light…representing precisely this passage from darkness to light, which is light of Christ. Therefore, what does the cure of this blind man represent? Let’s try to clarify it before listening to the text.

Blindness is the image of the condition with which we are born. Our biological naturewhen it appears, it appears in the darkness. He does not lean to things that are high, but to things that are low. It leads us to let ourselves be carried away by our passions, by our cravings, to turn to the goods of this world convinced that we fully realize our existence. We walk in the dark.

We do not live as humans if we follow our biological inclinations with which we are born. We need our eyes to open our lives to see who we really are, what we are doing in this world; where we are heading. If we do not open our eyes we will behave like any other creature, content with what nature offers us. We do not look up at the destiny that characterizes us as human.

Therefore, the need to be enlightened to get to know what our destiny is. Sometimes we hear people say that “faith is blind.” Schopenhauer said: “Either you think or believe.” NO!You cannot believe it without thinking. Thought found the reasonableness of the choices.When our mind is satisfied, then we are called to make a choice. We can play our lives on a proposal that is made to us, but this proposal can never deny reasonableness, otherwise, it is not faith, it is irrationality. There is still superstition gullibility.

The Christian faith is a ‘seeing’ an opening of the eyes to see far in order not to confuse the ghosts with reality, with what you really value. And Jesus came just to bring this light.From the beginning, when Zacharias pronounces: “Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel (he says) the sun that rises from above will visit us to illuminate those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death.” And, at the beginning of his gospel the evangelist John says: “The light shone in the darkness; the true light that illuminates every man was coming to the world.” Jesus is presented as the light that comes to illuminate the darkness of the world.

We are born blind. This is the metaphorical meaning that this healing has, as the evangelist John tells us.

Let’s hear how this story begins:

As Jesus passed by 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 he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

Jesus is in the vicinity of the temple and sees a man who is blind from birth. We are not told his name: he is a man. He represents humanity born blind. And it is not the blind man who is going to seek healing; it is Jesus who takes the initiative. The blind man has never had the experience of light and cannot imagine that there is a different way of living.

When a mother laments… how is it that my son is only interested in the party he is going to celebrate with his friends on Saturday night… and he can’t think of how beautiful it would be to prepare the Sunday liturgy, prepare to listen to the gospel. It’s because he hasn’t opened his eyes yet; he does not imagine that there can be a different way of living outside of what everyone does. The person who does not see, adapts to what others do and are like little sheep.

The eyes of the sheep are not good and that is why they go after each other… To be aware of the options that one does in life, it is necessary for someone to open our eyes to know where we are walking. And what is our destiny? The disciples ask him: “Who sinned that he was born blind?” Jesus does not want to hear speaking about guilt because one was born blind.

At that time it was normal to think that anyone who had any illness was because he or she was punished by God… and even today some think so. Jesus does not want to hear talkingabout these things. Misfortune is an event; it is never a punishment from God. Pain has nothing to do with God.

Now we will try to understand the metaphorical meaning that evangelist John gives to this blindness. It is not the man’s fault if he is born blind; it is neither his fault nor that of his parents. It is the condition with which we are born. It is not a sin to be born in this condition.It is the condition of man as man.

Therefore, it is totally inappropriate to speak of ‘original sin’. There is no fault being born this way. Jesus does not want to hear talking about sin. We are born in this condition of blindness in need of someone, that is, God, to open our eyes. And that’s why Jesus says: since I came into the world I am the light of the world.

And now the fact. “When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva—his saliva, I repeat: he made clay with his saliva—and smeared the clay on his eyes. Jesus’ gesture embarrasses us a little… what does it mean? First of all, the saliva. At that time the saliva was the concentration of breath. What is Jesus doing?

We have already found in the Bible this kneading with the dust of the earth… is what God did when He created man. His breath that has been life-giving to that man who has been kneaded from the mud of the earth. Now Jesus’ gesture is very clear. We are facing the repetition of God’s creative gesture. Jesus presents himself with his reality of man, he was also kneaded, like us, from the mud of the earth because Jesus was also composed of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, a bit of everything exactly like us, but with the Spirit, that is the divine life that he brought to the world.

So, what does Jesus do? He takes ‘his’ clay, that is, his person, his incarnation of an authentic man, kneaded by the dust of the earth and the Spirit and smeared the eyes of the blind man to open his eyes.

The metaphorical meaning is very clear: if the person does not have before his or her eyes the image of the authentic, successful man, the one who came from the material reality, but also with the fullness of the Spirit that is the divine life, this person does not see, he or she is not a complete, authentic person. What opens the eyes to the blind will be this clay that Jesus has put in his eyes.

And we must keep it in mind if we want to walk with our eyes open in our lives. He is the new man. Jesus told this blind man: “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam —and the evangelist reminds us that ‘shiloaj’ means ‘sent’. Actually, ‘shiloaj’ does not mean ‘sent’.‘Sent’ is ‘shalúa’, but what interests the evangelist is concordance, harmony: it is necessary to go to the water of the one ‘sent’ if we want to open our eyes. And, therefore, the blind man is asked for an action: he must move to go to the water and then open his eyes.

“Going for water” is the symbol of the one who is sent, the acceptance of the gift of the Spirit. Therefore, it is necessary to make an option for this water. And, now, Jesus moves away from the scene while the man who was born blind heads to the pool of Siloam. And during this absence, the one whose eyes were opened begin to move and must face those whose eyes have not yet opened.

Let’s listen to the first dialogue of the one who was blind with those who had known him before:

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is,“ but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

The man who has been enlightened by Jesus is no longer recognized. The neighbors, who were with him for years, wonder: ‘is he or isn’t he?’ This man’s previous condition was that of sitting and asking for alms. That is, motionless, dependent, he went to where others took him. Now no more. Now he is the one who decides, now he is free, he knows where he wants to go, he knows what he wants in life. He is a new person. Before he was moved by uncontrolled passions, now he is moved by the Spirit.

Therefore, he is someone totally other. If he offended people before, if he was rude, arrogant, if he thought only of money, if he considered himself smart, now he is a tender, helpful person, attentive to others, honest. So, people ask him: how is it that your life is so different from the one before when you were blind? And they ask him: What happened to you? And the blind man begins his story from the path he made, from darkness to light. ‘I found that man named Jesus, he put mud in my eyes; I could see this great man, the real man; I went to wash in the Siloam pool.

The water of the one ‘sent’. It is the Spirit who changes the life of the one who goes into this water. He who is baptized in the water of baptism, comes out as a new person. The blind man says: ‘And when I came out of the water, I was able to see, my eyes opened.’ Let’s take note. The blind man does not go after those who are still blind… preaching and trying to convert them… NO. The people he meets are the others, those who in front of a life totally different from the one before asked him: what has happened to you? How do you see now life, death, illness, sexuality, problems that may appear? ‘You see politics differently than others… what happened to you?’

Let’s try to ask ourselves: Did anybody ask questions to you? Like: Now you don’t think like before anymore… why this change? Why do you see the world differently? The blind man tells his whole story.

And now, they are worried because they no longer hear and see what they used to hear and see what these people do. Let’s hear what these people do:

They led the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. It was Sabbath when Jesus had made mud and opened his eyes. Therefore, the Pharisees also asked him again how he had acquired the sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

At this time, we no longer continue reading the text from the point of view of a cure from physical blindness, a cure made by Jesus. We will read the text as a parable of the passage from darkness to light by those who have allowed Jesus to open their eyes for the gospel.

For example, not many years ago we agreed about a “just war”; some opened their eyeswith the gospel and asked themselves: is it true that it is compatible with the message of Christ? Another example: the justice of this world. That is, you can buy, sell, accumulate all you want, just follow the laws of the state, make some alms… but some opened their eyes by the word of God, by the gospel, and say: you can’t do this because the goods are all of God,we are not owners, we must manage well what is not ours sharing with those who are in need.

Some were able to open their eyes for the gospel, while others have not. For example, regarding conscientious objection. Another example: the face of God. Until a few years ago many imagined God (and some still preach it today) as the righteous God; like the one who gave the commandments to be observed and gets angry if someone defies his authority. Until some opened their eyes for the gospel, for Christ, and have seen (others have not yet seen it), they have seen a completely different face of God. A face of God that is love and only love, a God who hates evil, but loves the sinner.

What happens to those who have not yet opened their eyes? Something that also happens today…. The Pharisees arrived and denounced this man who is different from the others. And even worse, it is one that follows someone who does not go with tradition because he does not observe the Sabbath. Therefore, he cannot be a man of God because he departs from whathas always been done, from a tradition that he has violated. Let us be attentive, the Pharisees …, those of that time, are dead, but they represent all those who are prisoners of prejudices, of their own convictions and do not want to let their eyes open for the gospel.

It’s not about following all the broken ideas that circulate around, but when there’s the gospel that wants to open your eyes, let the gospel open them to you. These Pharisees are the custodians of what has always been done… ‘it has always been done that way and these are the norms, it has always been preached in this way.’

But if the gospel tells you something different, let the gospel open your eyes. And now the Pharisees begin to interrogate the blind man. They ask: What happened to you. He tells them and in the end, they ask him: And you, what about the one who opened your eyes?…They don’t mention him by name…they will never mention Jesus. ‘That one…’. He replied: That he is a prophet. Before he had answered the question of who it was and he said: ‘I don’t know. That man’… it was just a man.

Now he has taken a step forward in the discovery of the identity of Jesus of Nazareth.”He is a prophet.” It is a step forward that he does. But the authority, which wants to protectwhat has always been done, calls the parents of the one who was blind.

Let’s listen to the interrogation they do:

Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said,“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now,nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason, his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”

This time, the interrogation of the blind was done by the Jews. Who are these Jews? In the Gospel of John, they are not the people of Israel, but they represent those who oppose Christ and the gospel. They are the religious leaders. For their part, the parents of the blind represent those who have instilled in the child traditional values.

As we know, it was the parents’ responsibility to educate the children according to the tradition of the people of Israel. If the son has really found Christ, he has discovered new values ​​and rejected those who had been instilled by the criteria of this world. I repeat that we are reading this text as a parable of the passage of darkness to the light brought about by the gospel. They ask his parents: “Is this your child, the one you say was born blind?” That is, they ask his parents to make sure that when this child was born he was really blind. And they replied: “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.”

It is another who gave him sight. His parents do not enter the new reality: “the one who opened his eyes, we do not know.” It is Christ who opened his eyes. It is what Jesus said to Nicodemus: “What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” The biological part of this man comes from this world, but the person is characterized by the gift that God has given him, of the new life.

The parents saw the child growing up feeling responsible for the child’s blindness. It is like the catechesis of the past that spoke of ‘original sin’. Jesus does not want to hear talking about sin. It is the condition we are born with. We are born blind. This is what this world does, but now there is a new light and it does not come from the world, it comes from above.”But how does he now see, we don’t know.”

The sight that our son now has does not come from us. They are afraid of his healing, of the new vision of life… they are afraid because it would mean that they too will have to change their perspective, that is, what they have instilled in him should be left behind because now there is a new discovery.

Let’s try to concretize a little more. If one becomes aware that the children open their eyes, or that they allow their eyes to be opened by the gospel, it means reuniting with the children who will not prosper in life… not because they are incapable, or do not know how to use their talents and abilities… on the contrary, it means that they will not use the gifts received from God to enrich themselves, to dominate, to appear, but to bow down and to serve others. And this does not come from the flesh; it comes from the opening of the eyes given by the gospel. The parents are afraid because the religious leaders threaten to throw them out of the synagogue. That is, to exclude them from what has always been the traditional community.

And the expulsion of the synagogue involved great risks, it was social isolation,complete insecurity. They will lose the right to inheritance. It is what Jesus says to his disciples, ‘take into account all the risks you run if you let the gospel open your eyes; you will see life and the world in a completely different way.

And now the last attempt of the religious authority to return this man, who was born blind, and make him return to think according to the criteria of tradition. And in his answerwe will see all the characteristics of the enlightened person.

Let’s listen:

So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

In this interrogation, they do to the blind man we find the Pharisees again. We had already found them in the previous interrogation and we saw that in the end they were divided among them. Now we find them regrouped again. When it comes to defending their own interest, their own convictions, their own privileges, those who have the power always regroup. And in this group the most fanatical, the defenders of the most conservative theological traditions have prevailed.

They are those who feel most upset by the light of the gospel. And they begin the interrogation by presenting themselves as those who know: we know that this man is a sinner… you must trust us… you must not think… you must get in tune with what we teach. And now you must give glory to God. ‘Giving glory to God’ means to align with our position.

But, instead, “giving glory to God” means being in tune with the behaviors of the new light you have received. The answers of this man, that we will hear from now on, are the answers of a free person, because now this man ‘sees’. “He replied: If he is a sinner, I do not know; I am sure of one thing, that I was blind and now I see” … I am happy to see.

But the Pharisees seek to pigeonhole him in some way. “They asked him again: How did he open your eyes?” Why do they want me to tell you what happened again? The reason is that they want to conclude that Jesus has violated the Sabbath, therefore, he is a sinner…‘you must get away from him’. And now, the man who was blind is a completely free personto the point that he uses irony, very dangerous because then they threaten him with violence and they will throw him out. What do you answer? “He replied: I already told you and you didn’t believe me; why do you want to hear it again? I will not tell you again because I know where you want to lead me.

And now with irony he asks them: “Perhaps you also want to become his disciples?” And now it is clear that the Pharisees get furious and insult him. “You will be a disciple of that man …!” They don’t mention Jesus’ name… but about that man, about that guy … We know … “we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for that one, we don’t know where he comes from.”

We see here the fear of those people who occupy power, who have the authority, when one questions their convictions in the face of a new light that is that of Christ and his gospel.Let us be attentive because the Pharisees are already dead, but the ‘Pharisees’ are a sect that continues in the world and Jesus was very worried that it would be perpetuated in his community.

It is fear that the gospel may question what has always been done, what we have always thought. Let us question everything we have had as indisputable because if the foundation of these convictions and these options are solid, it will maintain credibility; but if, instead, it is not solid it will be unmasked as a falsehood in the light of the gospel. The facts must be taken for what they are and not adapt the fact to our own convictions.

The answer of the one who was blind—he continues to answer with irony: “That’s the strange thing, that you don’t know where he comes from and he opened my eyes.” And he continues to use the Pharisees’ own religious arguments: “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to the one who is pious and fulfills his will. Never heard of someone opening their eyes to a man born blind. If that man did not come from God, he could do nothing.”

They answered him, with an insult: “You were born full of sin, and you want to teach us lessons?” “If you’re blind, it’s because you’re a sinner… instead we see.” They think they see, but in reality, they are blind. Soon we will feel the judgment that Jesus pronounces; the judgment that really counts.

And at this point they expel him. He is expelled from the institution. We can see what are the characteristics of the person enlightened by Christ, of one who has passed from darkness, of common thinking, of what everyone thinks, says and does to those who follow the light of the gospel. The first characteristic: it is one that has begun to say ‘I don’t know’. I repeat ‘I don’t know.’ They ask him where is the one who cured you? … they are his neighbors who no longer recognized him. He replied: “I don’t know.”

Then, when religious authorities tell him ‘we know he is a sinner’; he answers: ‘I don’t know’. And shortly when Jesus finds him, when Jesus goes to look for him and finds him, he will ask if he believes in the son of man … and will answer: ‘I don’t know … who is he Lord?’. He is one who lets himself be guided, he does not defend himself… the truth is always accepted. He is not afraid of the truth because the truth comes from God.

This is the first characteristic. Therefore, a path that starts from recognizing that one does not know and is open to receive the light.

Second characteristic: he is aware of his new identity: ‘it’s me’ he says when asked if it really was him. ‘It’s me’, I’m a new person and I am happy to be a new man.

The third characteristic: he is a free person able to present his own convictions. He doesn’t sell his head to anyone. It is not that one has authority, prestige … NO. First comes the truth and the person is free when he or she has received a new light.

The fourth characteristic: the relationship with authority. He is a person who respects authority, does not offend, but does not divinize it. First is the gospel, first comes Christ and we must pay close attention not to idolize any authority, political or religious.

Fifth characteristic: he is a brave person to the point of responding with irony. He feels good; therefore, he is not afraid of a confrontation and if he is provoked he shows all his freedom, he has nothing to defend, he does not have positions of prestige or advantage or privileges… NO. He is a free person. And is not intimidated by those who abuse power, insult, threaten and eventually resort to violence. He does not give up the truth even when it is uncomfortable and undesirable for those who are high, for those who are accustomed to always receive approval, applause, inclinations, adulations… NO.

He who has allowed his eyes to be opened for the gospel has this freedom. Finally, he is one who resists pressure and is not afraid. He accepts even giving up violence rather than giving up the light that makes him happy because he feels he is truly and fully a man.

And now Jesus reappears again on stage, who after having sent this blind man to the pool of Siloam had disappeared. He has accompanied this man on his way to the light, but he was not present. He let him face all the questions, with all the difficulties and now Jesus is going to look for him and finds him.

Let’s listen:

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind. ”Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

We have accompanied the spiritual path of this man who has allowed the ‘one sent’ to open his eyes: Jesus, sent from the Father in heaven. We wonder what has happened… This man has discovered the light, is free and is happy. Instead of meeting people who sympathize with him, he meets people who oppose him.

The answer is found in the evangelist John from the beginning of his gospel when he narrates the words of Jesus to Nicodemus. Jesus says ‘the light has come into the world, but people have preferred darkness to light because their works were evil.’ This is strange, but it is what happens.

The new man, the real man annoys, is not accepted by those who want to perpetuate thekingdom of the old man, who is guided by the passions, by his own interest, by the logic of taking advantage of others, of doing what he wants and what he pleases. The new man annoys. Let us remember that when Pilate, just at noon, presents Jesus to the people he says: “Here is the man.” They can’t stand it. They tell him: ‘out, out, get him out of the way.’ They don’t want to see the ‘man’ because the new man puts those who want to perpetuate the old one in crisis.

What happens now? The healed blind is thrown out of the institution. The gospel says:Jesus heard that he had been expelled and went looking for him. Jesus had appeared at the beginning of the story and then is no longer present and appears at the end. He has not intervened before. He has let the blind man manage by himself in the midst of difficulty and conflict.

The enlightened person does not need the physical presence of the Master. The strength to continue as a new man comes from the light he has received. Jesus finds him, he pretends to have just bumped into him and says: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ‘Son of man’ is a Hebrew expression that simply means ‘man’. ‘Do you believe in Man… the man who made you see when I put my mud in your eyes?’ And he replies: “Who is he, Lord, to believe in him?” Jesus said to him: You have seen him: he is the one who is speaking with you”. This is the successful man. I believe, Lord’ means: ‘I accept you in my life’.

To believe is an option of love. I unite my life with the proposal that you offer me. It is this man’s profession of faith in the word he is hearing and seeing. The revelation of the Son of God who has invited him to accept him in his life, taking into account what Jesus says: when this new man appears in front of the old man, he will have the same destiny as the Son of Man, the successful Man who is Jesus of Nazareth. ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. ‘When you reproduce this successful man, you too will be persecuted.

The answer of the one who was blind is: “I believe, Lord.” And now we have the judgment that Jesus pronounces. A judgment that is not of condemnation, but a judgment of salvation. That is, he makes you understand that you should be aware of the options you make. Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”

It is very unlikely that the Pharisees will appear again while Jesus is talking to this healed, enlightened man. The Pharisees to whom Jesus is addressing are us. Jesus’ answer is addressed to us. We must ask Jesus: Are we blind too?

Let us ask ourselves this question because the Pharisees of that time were convinced that they can see, but in reality, they were blind. And Jesus said that being blind is not a fault, but to say that we can see, this becomes sin. Being born blind is not our fault; it is not a sin, but rejecting the light when it comes, this is sin. And sin means giving up incarnating in us the true man, the authentic man, being children of God.

I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.