AUDIO MEDITATION:

Vasily Surikov (Russian, 1848-1916), Healing the Man Born Blind by Jesus Christ. Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

Jesus declares, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”

Jesus turns things upside down—he reverses vision. His judgment is on display in this image—Jesus has turned away from those who are peeking over his shoulder. His followers and the religious leaders have physical sight, but they can’t see what he is doing here. Instead, he turns towards the blind man, who was thought to be in sin—the last person anyone expected Jesus to approach. The man is blind, but is able to see how Jesus came to bring light to the world.

What is our role in this scene? Jesus’ look invites us to respond: Are we bystanders who can’t see what he is doing? Or do we seek the vision to see and participate in the works of God?