March 15, 2026; John 9:1-41; 4th Sunday of Lent
Jesus is not present throughout the entire gospel today. He is there at the beginning, and he returns at the end. I would suggest that we focus today on his return. At the beginning of the gospel, Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind. This, of course, is a great miracle and a wonderful blessing to the man who can now see. But no sooner is the man healed than his life is thrown into confusion. His neighbors do not recognize him, the religious authorities question him, insult him, and throw him out of the synagogue. We can imagine the man sitting on the curbside, his head spinning, his life is in shambles. It is at this moment that Jesus returns to the story. The text tells us that Jesus heard what had happened to the man born blind and finds him. When he finds him, he offers him faith and eternal life.
The miracle of sight at the beginning of this story is indeed wonderful. But it is Jesus’ return at the end that is good news for us. This story tells us that God does not only bless us but is attentive and ready to bless us again.
I think most of us here consider ourselves blessed. We live reasonably comfortable and secure lives, surrounded by the people we love— parents, children, spouses, and friends. Most of us have good health which allows us to work as we need and to play when we can. We have faith that allows us to believe in God’s love and to draw direction and comfort from God’s presence. All these things are gifts from God. Family, health, faith are blessings that come to us because of God’s love. Today’s gospel is telling us that we can trust that that love will continue because Jesus is ready to re-enter our lives if the good things we have are endangered.
If there are problems in our relationships, divisions in our family, misunderstandings among our friends, we need not face those problems alone. Jesus is ready to step again into our story and open pathways to healing. If our health begins to fail and our future is diminished, the same God who gave us health to begin with will return as we struggle to give us strength. If our faith is challenged and we begin to doubt whether we believe that God loves us, Jesus knows that doubt and is ready to find us and give us again the opportunity to believe.
Our God does not bless us and then walk away. The good things we have in our lives are commitments that blessings will continue. When, like the man born blind, we find ourselves in distress and turmoil, we can trust that Jesus will find us and bless us again.