To See and Be Seen – Touchpoint for March 11, 2026
John 9:1-45 A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
9 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus
answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We [a] must work the works of him who sent me [b] while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am he.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus [c] to be the Messiah [d] would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [e] 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? [f] Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, [g] I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
I am disturbed with the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees.
The Pharisees want to know who to blame and to shame for this man being blind. This is not an old question reserved to ancient times. This is a question that enters the minds of all humans. We always want to know who to blame and shame for anything that goes wrong. But the answer Jesus gives them is just as disturbing to me as the question! According to John, Jesus responds, “there was no sin that caused his condition, he was born blind so that God would be glorified.”
How does this solve the dilemma we still face about why bad things happen within the doctrine declaring God as all knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere?
How does one defend an unconditional loving God with one who would allow blindness at birth?
Doesn’t this just feed the hope-filled yet inadequate statement, “I believe everything happens for a reason!”
I don’t know about you, but I cannot accept that in God’s eyes, everything happens for a reason.
You mean a man is blind at birth, a bus filled with children blows up, an innocent baby is born with a severe disability, all because everything happens for a reason or as some translations say, that God would be glorified? So, wouldn’t faith healing pretenders be doing us all a favor when they set up a fake healing to arouse an arena full of believers with shouts of praise to God? In this framework God’s ego is out of control. It doesn’t make sense to me. The means of our suffering justifies the glorious ends.
We all want to know the reason for suffering in the world, especially our own.
Maybe in the dialogue with Pharisees Jesus is removing the reason and giving a purpose to an unimaginable human event.
Perhaps everything does not happen for a reason, but instead God makes reason and purpose out of everything that happens. Post event.
Does it mean everything is out of control or even worse out of God’s control?”
Maybe the idea of projecting bad events on past behaviors or the universe having a reason satisfies a desire for absolute truth, certainty or even worse an attempt to help God out with God’s reputation, but it does nothing to answer life’s suffering.
Maybe blindness and sight are metaphors for our spiritual journey. There are those who are blind in their demands for certainty and a desire for control and those who become awakened and on their journey of faith. Their eyes opened with awe and gratitude. Being able to see like Jesus means we too will not pass by a blind man but truly SEE the blind person.
This formerly blind man said a profound thing to the rulers questioning him about who it was who healed him. They demanded he give credit to God and not Jesus, but the healed man responds, “I don’t know who he was who opened my eyes, all I know is, “I was once blind, and now I see.”
Perhaps our spiritual journey can be like a person who has never seen, but whose eyes are opened for the first time. Maybe our human moments of epiphany and spiritual awakenings are a thrill to the God who loves us. Maybe when we are awakened for the first time God’s brilliance is revealed.
Maybe the question of why and who, should be changed to how to experience the mystery. Not why has something inexplicable happened, but how is God all that life brings us. I once had a client in treatment who was required to do their second and third steps of AA before their exit from treatment for substance addiction.
She came loaded with anger concerning God. Both steps are all about higher power and God. She assumed me, the one called Pastor Henry, to be a bible toting pastor with an agenda to make her a believer. When I
came to see my schedule and call the next appointment. I heard her say, “f his God!” She did know it was me. Then I called her name.
I took a deep breath and said, “ok tell me all about it. I have no agenda to change your mind. I want to know your story.” She proceeded to tell of the abuse she faced as a child in the name of God and the hard struggle as a gay adult woman in an unaccepting religious world.
I let her know I didn’t blame her for being angry at God. Once we had some rapport, I asked her what it would mean if she knew God was angry with her. That God was with her in her anger, sharing the anger that these things happened to her.
I could see a glimmer of hope that shone in the corner of her skeptical eyes.
To this day her eyes are a light to many who have felt just like her. Her awakening or moment of personal clarity was the beginning of her journey with the God of her understanding.
Jesus is the one who doesn’t just pass by our blindness but sees us in our blindness.
When I think of the Pharisees in this story, it reminds me why Jesus went to the fringes of society and did his ministry primarily outside the temple. To see, they needed to be seen. Here is the message to like the Pharisees think we know.
It is easier to tell the afflicted and the addicted they are free, than it is to tell a self righteous Christian they are blind like the Pharisees.
Amen.
Wednesday Respite is a 30-min contemplative service of scripture, prayer, music and a Spirited Touchpoint by Henry Rojas, spiritual director at Spirit in the Desert.
Touchpoint is a reflection on where God’s story touches our life story. It is a short homily based on a biblical story of people in the Old and New Testaments and their relationship with God. Our spiritual ancestors’ experience of God’s grace connects with our lives in the present and our relationship with the Divine. Previous Touchpoints are available as PDFs
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