RBWords

     It is tempting to compare the story of the healing of the blind beggar in today's gospel passage with the one that comes later in the Gospel of John and was the gospel scripture for this past Sunday.  Both incidents occur on a Sabbath.  Both incidents are the result of Jesus' own initiative and not as a response to a request.  And the question of the relationship between sin and illness arises but without the absurdity of asking how a man BORN blind could have sinned.  In any case, Jesus rejects the idea of inherited guilt or that illness is a punishment from God for sin.  Indeed, destructive behavior can bring about illness, and Jesus warns the beggar in today's gospel about that.  We don't know how the beggar became crippled.  We only know that he has been at the "healing spot" for 38 years and has not been able to get to the water at the right moment.  One can only imagine the stampede of all the people in response to any movement in the water which legendarily meant an angel had stirred it! 

 

     The beggar's response to Jesus' question is ambiguous!  If the beggar has made his living for 38 years from being in just the spot where he customarily sat, then Jesus' question could be threatening!  His [the beggar's] response is not a "Yes," but a reference to the fact that he has no one to put him in the pool.  Has he deliberately declined help in favor of begging?  Has he stationed himself just a bit too far from the pool?  Perhaps he is telling truth and Jesus' response is to the real plight of the man.  Since the beggar makes a point of "turning Jesus in" to the Jewish authorities, possibly to avoid further confrontation over carrying his mat on a Sabbath, one can wonder if there was some resentment over the situation.  Good drama can pull one into the whole scene. 

 

     How would WE respond to Jesus' question?  How much of an ambiguous way of life would we be willing to let Jesus heal?  Are there certain "evils" that are convenient and which, if healed, would give rise to "complications" with others?  Would we want Jesus to intervene and change our whole way of living, as he did with this beggar?  Jesus intervened without any indication of faith on the part of the beggar unless we assume a faith in the healing of the waters was sufficient.  Are we in the position of the beggar, making excuses and comfortable with our "difficult" life?  These questions are in no way intended to refer to those whom we know who are disabled for whatever reason.  However, we might find it very challenging to discuss this particular scripture with them!  AMEN