As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’This is one of my favorite stories in the Gospels. Well, the Gospel as this story is only found in John. To complete the passage this is when Jesus restores sight to a man born blind by making mud with his spit and rubbing it on his eyes. There are so many metaphors and lessons to be taken from this story I can hardly focus on just one; but I will try.
This week's Lenten Focus is on suffering; not the act of suffering, but why we suffer. (As a reminder one of the purposes of Lent is to to reflect on Jesus' suffering during his last days.) Often when we're going through an extended difficult time in our lives or when the difficulties pile onto each other we ask, "Why me?"
An honest question, especially if you've done nothing to deserve the terrible things going on in your life. I think about the teen mother who is homeless, without a job, addicted to drugs, and forced to work the streets while her pimp beats her on a nightly basis. All because her parents thought about their position in society more than the welfare of their daughter. Did she make a mistake? Maybe, maybe not; that's not for me to decide. What is for me to decide is how I will continue to show the love of God to her.
It's in the showing of unconditional love that this young woman may find the strength she needs to get herself out of the life she's in. Imagine then a young woman who is now in a stable relationship, working in a stable job, providing for her young child, and healing the torn relationship between her parents. This is how God can be glorified in the suffering of others and ourselves. Not by allowing the things we consider to be against society's norms separate us, but to instead find a way through the suffering to grow closer to each other and to God.
This Lent look around for opportunities to help others heal. This Lent look for ways to glorify the love of God through your suffering. This Lent remember Jesus' death on the cross and what that means to you.
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