Sunday of the Man Born Blind 2022

The Holy Martyr Basilicus; The Holy and Righteous Melchisedek, King of Salem; Commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381)

Ambon Prayer 76

Title

Loving the Unloveable

Outline

We hear the gospel teaching of loving the unloveable, the poor, the outcast, and our enemy, but can we live it?

Paul and Silas give us one example in practice

Paul has healed a demonized slave girl, whose demon made her valuable to her owners. Probably he had waited in healing her until he at least had God’s permission. It was a good deed.

The owners - speaking of exploitation - did not see it as good, stir up the magistrates, and Paul and Silas end up beaten and imprisoned, in stocks in the inner prison.

Paul’s and Silas’ response is not to chant imprecatory Psalms, but to sing praise to God - sleep was impossible. They loved God and their enemies.

There is an earthquake and they are free, but they do not say, “God has freed us from our enemies,” but instead save the life of the jailer who had put them in the dungeon, and keep all within the prison.

That is good news to the jailer, who in response loves them, both giving them food and giving them care. He and his household are baptized, perhaps in the pool he had used to wash Paul and Silas.

That is love of the oppressed followed by love of one’s enemies

The Gospel is about both love of the outcast and love of enemy as well.

The unnamed blind man is of interest to the disciples only as a subject of speculation about whose sin caused this blindness. Jesus response is that it was not sin, but so “that the works of God might be made manifest in him.”

The man’s faith is obedience and this also means he never sees his healer, which makes him the only witness: he has a name (Jesus) but his location and identity is unknown even to the healed man.

The timing on the Sabbath makes the healing problematic. So the Jews and then the Council go through the steps of denial (he only looks like the blind man) until the will no longer work, and then arguing that Jesus must be a sinner until the blind man in his innocence points out that that is not logical. Grace was refused by the Council, so the man was scapegoated.

Jesus, of course, will not allow him to be ostracized, so he helps him connect his healer to Jesus’ person; the narrative ends, ““Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him.” There is a new member of the band of disciples.

How can we respond to this?

First, it reminds us to ask God how we can reach out to those who are exploited or rejected by society, reaching out and drawing them into our group of followers of Jesus, whether that be through a healing or through some other act of love.

Second, it reminds us to love even those who reject and abuse us, seeking their good. Sometimes the good is rejected, as in the case of the blind man’s witness, and sometimes it is accepted, as in the case of the jailer in Philippi. In either case the hoped for goal is inclusion in the band of disciples.

Third, it reminds us that we can do this only if our eyes are fixed on God. That is where Paul and Silas found the ability to sing, for they had suffered for Jesus. That is what Jesus saw in the blind man, God’s whispering that it was to manifest God’s works.

Finally, it means that we need to ask God, “What is your good in this case?” Love is seeking the good of the other, so we need to know what God’s good is. Then we follow his direction.

Now, if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 5-29-2022: Sunday of the Blind Man or Sixth Sunday of Pascha

EPISTLE

Acts 16:16–34

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; 20 and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22  The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (5-29-2022: Sunday of the Blind Man or Sixth Sunday of Pascha)

GOSPELJohn 9:1–389 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. 2  And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. 4  We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. 5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6  As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, 7  saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” 10 They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16  Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was a division among them. 17 So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”18 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, 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22  His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”24 So for the 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.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?” 28  And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” 38  He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (5-22-2022: Sunday of the Blind Man or Sixth Sunday of Pascha)

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | PENTECOSTARION

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 5-29-2022: Sunday of the Blind Man or Sixth Sunday of Pascha

SUNDAY OF THE BLIND MAN OR SIXTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA

Bright Vestments

Matins Gospel John 20:11–18

Epistle Acts 16:16–34

Gospel John 9:1–38