Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Samuel, in our first reading, went in search of a new king to anoint. He was sent to look for this new king among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. Jesse presented his finest sons, but the Lord said that the future king was not among them. Questioning Jesse further, Samuel learned of another son, David, the youngest, who was tending the flocks in his brothers’ absence. Samuel told Jesse to send for him. And when David came before him, the LORD said to Samuel, “There — anoint him, for this is the one!”
God sees what we do not. Not even David’s father saw the greatness that was within David’s future.
The same is true in the Gospel in the man born blind. He was to be pitied, for sure, but God saw that he would become a parable of sight to be remembered in the Gospel of John. Jesus saw in him, not only a man born blind, but a man who would come to see, both physically and spiritually. Jesus came to the blind man and anointed him with his own saliva and the man received his physical sight. Later, Jesus would come back to this newly sighted person and give him even greater sight. The man would ask to see the Messiah, and Jesus told him, "You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he."
Jesus saw in man born blind a disciple who would not only see the world for the first time with his newly sighted eyes, but he would come to see Jesus as God’s son with his newly sighted soul.
What does God see in us that we, ourselves, sometimes fail to see? For sure, God sees us as one of his sons or daughters. Jesus sees in us one of his disciples. And we have been anointed by the Holy Spirit, so that we might also see Jesus as our Lord. The Pharisees failed to see in Jesus what we have come to know. Jesus is the anointed one of God, the Christ.
May we never lose sight of who we are as God’s children and who Jesus is as our Savior.
Have a blessed week everyone.