Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air

I Am Nameless

So, did you notice that in the entire story you just heard, Saint John never tells you my name?

Did you notice that John only refers to me as “the man born blind?” He never uses my name.

I want to tell you why he doesn’t but first, I want to make two observations about what happened here. After all, I’m the one at the center of the story – the one who received his sight.

Observation 1: Fear and Seeing

First, did you notice that Jesus says that my blindness was not due to any sin, either my parents’ or mine?

It just happened. Period.

So, seldom are we responsible for physical blindness, but we may be responsible for spiritual blindness. When I look at my religious leaders and my neighbors and even my parents, I think they were afraid.

Afraid that they would have to change the way they thought about Jesus, or afraid that their position or status would be threatened, or afraid of what others would think about them – they all seemed afraid. That’s why they were unable to see and to say that Jesus healed me.

So because of their fear, they remained spiritually blind and they were responsible for that. Let’s not allow that to happen to us.

Maybe we are afraid that if we really listen to Jesus, we will have to face up to some habit in our life, like talking negatively about a person or about a whole race or nationality of people. Or maybe we are afraid that we will have to deal with our part of a relationship problem.

But you know, this sort of spiritual blindness diminishes who we are as persons. Jesus says: “I came to make the sightless see.”

So, let’s allow him to do that for us. Let’s get over our fears and choose the vision, the sight, and the insight that Jesus offers!

Observation 2: Seeing More

And then, did you notice that I did not see fully all at once?

Oh yes, I instantly got my eyesight, my physical sight. But my spiritual sight – that was another thing.

At first, I saw Jesus only as another person; then as a prophet; then as the special servant of God; and at last as the Lord, God himself. It took me a while to see him for all that he is.

So, take it from me, we all need to grow in our faith that way – to keep seeing more and more about God and our relationship with God. In fact, we never stop growing.

There’s always more to see about our religion and faith and how it applies to everyday life and the issues we confront today – and some of them are complex, like the withdrawal of life spport from a terminnally ill person, and some of them are controversial, like gun control. So keep reading those gospels and trying to see more.

I’m telling you: it’s a lot more exciting to keep growing and to keep seeing more. And it will lead you, as it led me, to a much fuller relationship with Jesus – with our God.

Why I Am Nameless

Okay! I just had to make these observations about 1) getting over our fears and seeing and 2) seeing more and more.

Now, I want to keep my promise and tell you why John never tells you my name. He does this because he wants each of you – each of you – to realize that you are me.

So, you – Greg, Michelle, Paul, Deborah – each of you is “the man born blind.” Jesus wants to give sight to all of us, if only we are willing.