Sunday Reflection (March 22, 2020)
Have fear and suspicion ever caused you to mistreat someone? In our Gospel Reading, fear and suspicion cause the religious leaders and even the disciple
to mistreat a blind man. They wondered what sins he or his parents had committed to bring about his blindness. When he is healed and receives sight, the religious leaders were highly suspicious and fearful. Jesus refused to act out of fear and suspicion (John 9:1-41). Jesus saw his blindness as an opportunity to do good: Heal the blind man!
May we not mistreat anyone because of our fear and suspicion. God’s love and compassion revealed to us Jesus Christ has been brought to us through the Holy Spirit. May we treat others as if they are created in the image of God! May we treat others as Christ did. In this time of Covid-19 watch your fear and suspicion. Be wise but not mean and ugly, and as verse 3 of John 9 remind us, consider it an opportunity to do good and bring about healing. Pray for all the medical professionals from doctors to nurses to janitors on the front line of bringing about healing. Look for opportunities to do good as much as you are able, even if it means staying at home for most of us.
Fear and Suspicion / Misjudging others / John 9:1-41
If you have seen a Frankenstein movie you know that being sewn together from the body parts of dead people makes a grotesque appearance. If you have not seen a Frankenstein movie maybe you have watched jolly Herman Muster. He has a grotesque appearance, but he has a great personality and comedic. Nevertheless, in the Frankenstein movies, his grotesque appearance causes fear and suspicion among the villagers. Their fear and suspicion lead them to mistreat Frankenstein. They chase and taunt him with what he fears most: Flaming torches.
Frankenstein flees the village and stumbles upon the house of a blind man who does not see grotesque appearance of Frankenstein. The blind man treats Frankenstein with dignity and respect – as if he was created in the image of God. Frankenstein reflects this kindness and respect by behaving well, learning to read, and improves in social grace and maturity, but the villagers find him. He must flee again.
Have fear and suspicion ever caused you to mistreat someone? In our Gospel Reading, fear and suspicion cause the religious leaders and even the disciple to mistreat a blind man. They wondered what sins he or his parents had committed to bring about his blindness. When he is healed and receives sight, the religious leaders were highly suspicious and fearful. Jesus refused to act out of fear and suspicion (John 9:1-41). Jesus saw it as an opportunity to do good: Heal the blind man!
This text could produce many sermons, but I want to focus upon fear and suspicion which have the potential to lead us to be blind to our own faults and failures. Fear and suspicion lead us to highlight and exploit the faults and failures of others, even if there is neither fault nor failure. Fear and suspicion lead to the mistreatment of illegal immigrants. Fear and suspicion lead us to mistreat our enemies in the name of national security. Fear and suspicion have led to the mistreatment of Muslims and Jews. Fear and suspicion have led to the mistreatment of the neighbor we do not particularly understand or care to understand. Fear and suspicion have led to the mistreatment of homosexuals. Fear and suspicion have led to the mistreatment of the mentally ill.
May we not mistreat anyone because of our fear and suspicion. God’s love and compassion revealed to us Jesus Christ has been brought to us through the Holy Spirit. May we treat others like the blind man treated Frankenstein – as if they are created in the image of God! May we treat others as Christ did
In this time of Covid-19 watch your fear and suspicion. Be wise but not mean and ugly, and as verse 4 of John 9 remind us, consider it an opportunity to do good and bring about healing. Pray for all the medical professionals from doctors to nurses to janitors on the front line of bringing about healing. Look for opportunities to do good as much as you are able, even if it means staying home for most of us.
