Homily of Fourth Sunday of Lent
Year A
In the first reading, Samuel, in
a way, was blind as to who God was going to choose to replace Saul as the king
of Israel. God guided him until he anointed David. If not by God’s guidance,
Samuel would have made a wrong choice. I believe that this passage teaches us a
few lessons. (1) Appearance can be deceptive. Initial impressions and thoughts
are not always right. We must not make judgements and conclusions, quickly
based in appearance, initial impressions, and thoughts. Sometimes, there is
more than meets the eye. Sometimes, what we see is the tip of the iceberg. What
is on the surface can be illusive. It is important to spend quality
time in discernment and prayer before decisions are made. It is important to
listen attentively to God and follow his guidance. However, spending quality
time in discernment and prayer before decisions are made does not encourage
prolonged indecision and procrastination. (2) Samuel did not depend
on what was presented to him. He made inquiry: ‘“Are these all the sons you have?’
Jesse replied, ‘There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.’
Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he
arrives here.”’ We must not be afraid or reluctant or mesmerized or carried
away to ask valid questions which may help us to a better understanding and
help to unravel the truth. My dad, God rest his soul, used to tell me,
"Son, do not call a mirage a river until you get to it.” (3) Someone says,
“Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the
lock.” David was the last key in a bunch of eight keys that opened the lock.
(4) Jesse never imagined that the youngest of his sons could be considered for
such an exulted position. Let us not underestimate what God can do through
anyone or in the life of anyone. (5) Samuel reminds us that our Omniscient God
knows what is in the heart of each one of us. We can deceive our fellow human
beings but we cannot deceive God. (6) No one can claim with certitude what is a
person’s heart. Therefore, we must be careful to claim to know what people are
thinking or what people are going to do. One may end up with wrong and unfair
judgements.
We pray for those who by the
nature of their call or work have to make judgements on others that they may be
open to the wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We, pray, too for all of
us that we may cooperate with promptings of the Holy Spirit who directs us to
the right way during our various valleys of decision.
In the Gospel we see the physical
blind man healed by Jesus and spiritual blind Jews who refused to see God’s
wonderful work in Jesus, and do not recognize that Jesus came from God. The
blind man who received his sight recognized Jesus as Lord and prophet, and
worshipped him. The Jews, on the other hand, were unrepentant and did not
believe in Jesus. They remained spiritually blind.
While physical blindness is when
a person is unable to see due to the corruption of the eye by some disease or
deformity, spiritual blindness is when a person, due the corruption of the
mind, loses sight of the truth. The person is spiritually in darkness.
Sometimes, we are spiritually
blind to right judgement and focus our attention on appearance alone as Samuel
did. Sometimes, we are spiritually blind to the truth and wonderful work of God
in others like the Jews. Sometimes we are spiritually blind to God’s presence
and new possibilities like the Jews.
In one way or another, all of us
have some degree of spiritual blindness. In this fourth week of Lent, St. Paul
encourages us in the second reading to wake up from blindness and darkness and
receive the light of Christ. St. Paul encourages us to “Live as children of
light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”
We pray for all spiritually blind
religious and civil rulers, leaders, and guides whose spiritual blindness has
brought suffering and death to our world. May they be delivered from their
blindness. Amen.
Jesus, you are the light of the
world. Each of us is burdened by all kinds of blindness. Heal us as you healed
the blind man in the Gospel. May your word come true in us, “Neither [us] nor
[our] parents have sinned; it is so that the work of God might be made visible
through [us].” Thank you Jesus because we believe that by your power, the work
of God will be made visible through us and in us. Amen and Amen.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP
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