Time to Open Your Eyes?

Readings for Sunday April 3rd 2011

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Reading 1 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

1 The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” 6 As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” 10 In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” 12 Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There(anoint him, for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Prior to this reading God had led the Prophet Samuel to anoint Saul but because of his disobedience he was removed and the Kingdom would be given to another. The new person to be anointed as King was chosen by God for his heart, not for his appearance. God tells Samuel do not look at Jesse’s sons to find the new King even though they may be lofty in stature meaning muscular and healthy looking, for God has rejected their outward appearance. God goes on to say that we do not see as God sees because we look for good looks and fancy clothes, but God looks into our hearts and know what we are made of.

• Do we find it uncomfortable to know that God can see into our hearts and knows us better that we know ourselves?
• How many times have we found ourselves judging others by their outward appearance?
• How do we want to be judged? By our family, by our friends, by our God?
• In what ways can we change our hearts (our lives) so that everyone we meet will see us for the beautiful person God made us to be?


We will discuss these questions and more on Thursday night 7pm in the youth room “come prepared”

Reading II Ephesians 5:8-14


8 Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, 9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, 12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What stands out to me in this reading by St. Paul is the statement in verse 8. Literally, it says, “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” You were not in the darkness or the light, you are darkness or light. Out of darkness and into His glorious light WOW!!!
What an Awesome change occurs in our lives when we finally come into the light of Jesus. That dark cloud over our eyesight is somewhat removed, and we are able to see. No longer do we live in darkness, but in light. St. Paul goes further to suggest that we are now part of the light and that we are now responsible to shine that light into the darkest corners of the earth.

• As you look back on your life what kind of spiritual growth have you seen?
• In what areas have you seen the greatest change?
• The way you treat your Mom and Dad?
• Your brothers and sisters? Your Friends? Others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Gospel John 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38


1 As Jesus passed by 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 he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. 4 We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 While 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 clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” -. which means Sent . So he went and washed, and came back able to see. 8 His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”He said, “I am.” 10 So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11 He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.”12 And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” 13 They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a Sabbath. 15 So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” 16 So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 Now, the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” 20 His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.” 24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.”25 He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28 They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.”30 The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. 32 It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” 34 They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. 35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, 36 “Who is he, sir,that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, 37 “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.”38 He said,“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. 39 Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.”


In the Gospel Jesus cures a blind man and then everything hits the fan. The locals bring the cured man to the Pharisees and tell them that this man was cured, and that it was on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were not very happy about this event; they said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” Later, the Pharisees question the man and felt threatened and said, “Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner from birth?” That would make you think that the Pharisees knew something about this man that we do not, that he was a sinner from birth. For the Pharisees and those like them there is no injustice in the world. Everybody is getting what he or she deserves, but there are many who think along similar lines today. Today's society is not too different from that of the Pharisees Even when young innocents suffer and die it must be because of something they have done.
• Why would the Pharisees say that this man was a sinner from his birth?
• If we are pleased with the man’s restored sight, why are the Pharisees so angry?
• In what area of your life do you need healing? Physical, Spiritual, emotional, relational, other?
• What hard question would you like to ask Jesus about the problems of life?


If for any reason you would like to be removed from this list, please email me and I will remove your name. Otherwise, pass it on to everyone you know, Amen
IHN tommyk http://tommykawas.blogspot.com/