The Holy Cyril (869) and Methodius (885), Teachers of the Slavs and Equals-to-the-Apostles and the Dedication of the City of Constantinople (330); the Holy Priest-Martyr Mocius (284-305); Passing into Eternal Life of Blessed Vasyl (Basil) Hopko, Auxiliary Bishop of Presvov (+1976).
Polyeleos Feast.
Acts 14:20-27; Hebrews 7:26-8:2; John 9:39-10:9; John 10:9-16.
Read John 9:39-10:9
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus makes a seemingly cryptic statement. He says that he came so “that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind”.
Taken at face value this seems like a harsh saying – who would want to blind those who see? But the key to understanding what Christ is trying to teach us in this passage is in the following verse. When questioned by the Pharisees as to whether this statement is an accusation against them, Jesus replies: “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
We are all blind – the question isn’t whether we are blind are not, but rather, will we acknowledge our blindness and allow ourselves to be lead by the voice of the Lord. The blindness Jesus is talking about here is a willful blindness, a lack of self-knowledge concerning limitations, our brokenness, and our need for Christ’s healing.
There is a story, recounted by Plato, that the Oracle of Delphi declared Socrates as the wisest man in Athens. Instead of embracing the title, Socrates aimed to disprove it. He questioned everyone he could find, seeking someone wiser, but discovered they only pretended knowledge. Eventually, he realized the Oracle was right. Socrates was the wisest because he admitted his ignorance, unlike others who feigned knowledge. Despite feeling lacking in wisdom, his humility set him apart and made him truly wise.
Just like the key to Socrates’ wisdom was his humble recognition of his own ignorance, the key to us overcoming this spiritual blindness is first humbling ourselves and admitting that we cannot see. St. Isaac the Syrian says that, “When a man knows himself, the knowledge of all things is granted to him, for to know one’s self is the fullness of the knowledge of all things. In the submission of your soul all things will be submissive unto you. At the time when humility reigns in your manner of life, your soul will submit herself to you, and along with her, all things will be submitted to you, because the peace of God is born in your heart.”
How often do we think we know what is best for ourselves, our families and friends – even for the Church! From our own perspective we may think we have wisdom, but realizing that we are blind, means realizing just how truly limited our perspective is, and how much we need to rely on the guidance of Church’s holy tradition and her saints. In these we truly hear the voice of the shepherd.
This Sunday we will hear the Gospel of the healing of the man born blind. Realizing that we are all born blind, let us humble ourselves and run to Him for healing crying out “Lord, I want to see!”