Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exalt and be satisfied at her consoling breast.
1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 (Reflection by Jeff Koch)
Israel would need a new king. Saul had disobeyed the word of the Lord because he had chosen to obey the people’s wishes rather than what God, through Samuel, had told him to do. Samuel shared the words of the Lord to Saul, “I will not return with you for you have rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” (1 Sam. 15:24-26) So, Samuel heads to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king. Jesse brings his sons before the Prophet of God and not one gets God’s thumbs up. Jesse had figured the king would come from one of these older sons. But God looks on man, not as man sees, but as God sees beyond their appearance and “into their hearts.” Yet there is one more son that needs to be brought to Samuel, when Samuel sees David, he hears the Lord say, “Anoint him, for this is the one!” A new king had been set apart for Israel, one after God’s own heart.
At some point in David’s life, he looks back on that day of anointing, as a reminder and foundation for a difficult time he was going through. Let me explain. Psalm 23 was probably written at some time after the anointing story, for he remembers that anointing in his words, “. . . you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows . . .” Some believe that that Psalm was written in one of the times that David was going through some great difficulty, which was, as he says “through a valley of the shadow of death.” Flowing from his memory of that anointing as King, he knew that God would shepherd him, as he shepherded the sheep on that hill so long ago. He knew that God would guide him and show him the right paths to take, that when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he would not have to fear evil because God was with him. He knew that goodness and mercy would be close to him and that he would dwell in the presence of God for ever. To me, this can be a lesson of how something that God has done in our lives, which He designates as an identity for us, can help you through whatever this world can bring upon you.
So much is happening in our gospel reading, but at one point Jesus says, “while I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” To demonstrate that he heals a man born blind. As the man celebrates this wonderful miracle, he is called on the carpet to explain the why’s, what’s and who of this great and wonderful healing. It seems that no matter how he explains it, the religious leaders just won’t accept it and need to deal with this, in their minds, terrible thing. Let me pause and let you see how ridiculous this is to see this as a problem without rejoicing with this man born blind, can now see. Finally in exasperation this healed man says, “One thing I know is that I was blind and now I see.”
In the sermon on the mount Jesus says of His followers, “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) Jesus is still the light of the world, but he shines his light through our lives. This is our identity, if I can stretch this a bit, I would say, that our anointing with the Holy Spirit is one of light. Paul tells the Ephesian church, “you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” Now knowing from John that light enters the world and the darkness cannot overcome it, (John 1:5) . . . “we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.” (Romans 8:37) So, while David knew that as he walked this life, he could live in all the realities of what his Psalm 23 reminded him and us, that we too, can know that he is with us and that we can see that he is the son of man, the Messiah the Christ.
I just love this last part of the gospel reading, Jesus comes to this man born blind a bit later and says, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man responds, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus says to him, (and I just love this) . . . You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” This one who could not see before Jesus healed him. His response? “I do believe, Lord” and he bowed down to him. This man that was born blind, could now see the Son of Man. Do you believe? Jesus can take our blindness, our darkness and overcome it with His light! And when he does, we will see HIM and darkness will not overcome us! “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
O God, who through your Word reconcile the human race to yourself in a wonderful way. grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen!