THOUGHTS OF A MONK

Pascha

2006

How easy to console oneself by recalling the Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom who welcomed everyone to the Paschal feast, even those whose efforts were made just at the last minute. Now we might look at St. John’s openness and complain, together with the brother of the Prodigal Son: UNFAIR! Reward should match the effort. It’s only just! But love is not about justice love is about forgiveness. When God forgives it is a sign of God’s infinite love for us all, that we receive grace and are accepted into God’s embrace, even at the last minute.

 However, in a gospel lesson, Jesus says to his disciples: ”As long as day lasts we must carry out the work of the one who sent me.” This is an admonition to act before the last minute, before it is too late, before the light is gone. Then Jesus demonstrates what he means when the blind man receives his sight.  Jesus is not concerned about the Sabbath rules; he comes into contact with a blind man and he acts to bring light to the blind, despite what others might say. He doesn’t check the calendar and say, I’ll see you tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come.

Ever been in a place where there is absolutely no light whatsoever? Deep in a cave, for example, where there is no light, and your flashlight fails. I’ve been there. At that moment you cannot even see your hand right in front of your face. Now you know what a blind person experiences every day. Through Jesus this blind man came to see the light. And the light that he saw was the works of God being made manifest in Jesus. The Pharisees did not see it that way at all. Their concern was that Jesus affected this wonder on the Sabbath. He broke the law. He acted but not at the time preferred by the Pharisees. So they tried to discredit Jesus by claiming that the blind man was not really ever blind. When that fails, then they claim that by acting on the Sabbath Jesus was not of God. To this criticism the Blind man reminds them of their tradition that God does not listen to sinners, thus implying that what Jesus did was from God. This outraged the Pharisees who then try to discredit the Blind man by saying he was born a sinner. They were determined that the event must fit into their understanding of God and salvation.

Wanting things to be done according to our timetable and not God’s is a trap into which we can all fall. For example, in meditation and prayer we want things to happen according to our schedule. That dry period can be unnerving, but it may be the very moment that pushes us to an unexpected insight. In so many areas of our lives we want clarity before we decide to act. So did the Pharisees.

Yes, the law the Pharisees pointed to was God’s law. But the key to the law is in its interpretation. The Pharisees knew the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. They recognized God in the law but not in Jesus. If we live only by the letter of the law then the law itself is in control. Jesus came to help us see beyond the letter of the law into the deeper meaning behind it: And even more, to come to understand the ultimate source of the law, which is God’s love for us and all creation. When the Pharisees called the Blind man in to give testimony they first said to him: Give glory to God.  By that phrase they meant that he should tell the truth, which he did, but not the truth that they could recognize. They were blind to the truth, while he was open to see the truth.

Giving glory to God isn’t just something that Jesus does by himself, or that only others do; we are all participants. We are all called upon to bear witness to the truth, which is in Christ. When is the time to do this? Now! Jesus’ challenge to us is to give glory to God while there is still light, while there is still time. We know it is so easy to get off track and not do what we are supposed to do, whether through avoidance, anxiety, being scattered, compulsiveness, and a whole host of other things that pull us away from who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing. Jesus words to the disciples and to us are urgent since we know neither the day nor the hour, either our own or others. (Mt 24:36; 25:13) Even though it may be 5 minutes past the hour, we mustn’t let a self-imposed structure or pre-conceived notions keep us from giving glory to God, from doing as Jesus did, namely the works of the one who sent him, and us, into the world. Christ is Risen!