Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7; 10-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called Laetare Sunday, a moment of joy in the middle of our Lenten journey. The Gospel presents one of the most powerful miracles of Jesus, the healing of the man born blind. We hear not only of the miracle itself, but also of the interrogation by the religious leaders, the rejection and excommunication of the healed man, and finally, how Jesus seeks him out and reveals Himself to him.
This passage teaches many lessons. We see questions about how we judge others, a new way of understanding suffering, the courage required to testify to the truth, and the beautiful confession of the healed man: “I was blind but now I see” (John 9:25). It is also a story of a journey of faith, as the man gradually comes to recognise who Jesus truly is.
Before reflecting on three messages from this Gospel, let us notice two important things this passage reveals about Jesus.
First, Jesus sends the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The word Siloam comes from the Hebrew word שִׁלֹחַ (Shiloach / Shiloah), from the Hebrew verb שָׁלַח (shalach), which means “to send” or “to send forth.”
This is not accidental. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus constantly speaks of Himself as the One sent by the Father (John 3:17; John 5:36). The blind man receives sight by washing in the pool called “Sent,” reminding us that true light and healing come from Christ, who is sent by the Father. As St. Augustine says, “He washed his eyes in the pool whose name means Sent. He was enlightened by Christ who is the Sent One.”
Jesus is the One Sent by the Father, He is the true pool of Siloam, He is the living water that refreshes, heals and washes.
Second, the method Jesus uses is striking. He makes mud with saliva and places it on the man’s eyes. This recalls Genesis 2:7, where God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. By using mud, Jesus reveals Himself as Creator. St. Irenaeus says that Christ used clay again to show that the One who created humanity in the beginning now restores what was damaged.
With these insights in mind, let us consider three messages from this Gospel.
First, spiritual blindness.
Jesus performs an undeniable miracle. The man who was blind from birth can now see. The evidence is clear, the testimony is overwhelming, yet the religious leaders refuse to believe. Why? Because their hearts are closed.
Very often the greatest blindness is not physical but spiritual. Three things often blind us spiritually: hatred, envy and pride.
Hatred makes it impossible to see the good in others. When the heart is filled with hatred, even obvious goodness becomes suspicious.
Envy blinds us to the blessings God has already given us. Instead of gratitude, we become resentful of the good in another person’s life.
Pride blinds us to the truth about ourselves. It prevents us from accepting correction or recognising God’s work.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul tells us: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Lent is precisely a time for God to open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see more clearly.
In the First Reading, Samuel almost chose the wrong king because he looked only at appearance. But the Lord corrected him saying: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Today we pray that God may open our eyes so that we may see as He sees.
Second, God works in our lives in different ways.
Jesus healed many blind people in the Gospel, but He never healed them in exactly the same way. Sometimes He touched them, sometimes He spoke a word, sometimes healing happened instantly, and in this case He made mud and sent the man to wash.
The miracle is the same, but the method is different. This reminds us that the power is not in the method but in the person of Christ.
God writes a unique story in every life. One person comes to faith through suffering, another through prayer, another through a moment of grace, another through a long journey of searching.
We therefore do not need to compare our spiritual journey with others or become envious of what God seems to be doing in their lives. God meets each person personally and leads each of us to the light through a path that is uniquely ours.
Third, rejection by the world can lead to a deeper encounter with Christ.
The healed man was thrown out of the synagogue (John 9:34). In other words, he was excommunicated. He was no longer allowed to worship in the Temple. Yet something beautiful happens next. The Gospel tells us that Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and He found him (John 9:35).
The man was rejected by the religious authorities, but he was received by Christ Himself. He was excluded from the temple made by human hands, but he encountered the One who is the true Temple (John 2:21). And what happens next? The man says, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped Him (John 9:38).
There are three powerful messages here.
First, whatever the world denies you, God may be preparing something greater for you. Sometimes what looks like rejection is actually a redirection toward something bigger and better.
Second, whatever we lose or suffer because of our faith will never be lost with God. God will reward us with something incomparably better. The blind man lost access to the Temple because of the proclamation of his faith in Jesus, yet he was given access to the True Temple Himself where all graces flow.
Third, no matter who rejects you, Jesus always receives you. There will always be a place for you in His Sacred Heart.
Der friends, the healed man began the day blind, rejected and begging. By the end of the story, he can see, he has encountered Christ, and he is worshipping the Son of God.
May the Lord open our eyes during this Lenten season so that we too may move from darkness to light and be able to say with that man:
“I was blind, but now I see.”
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on March 15, 2026.