This week I want to work with Alison's summary of what he was saying last week.
...the presence of the crucified and risen Lord to the disciples revealed that humans are wrong about God and about humanity, not simply wrong as mistaken, but wrong as actively involved in death. And this being wrong does not matter any longer, because we can now receive the truth, and thus life, from the forgiven victim. Alison then uses the story of the blind man in John 9 to show how what he is doing is part of the apostolic witness we have in Scripture.
In John chapter 9 we have, according to Raymond Brown, "Johannine dramatic sill at its best." (I would recommend reading the story in chapter 9 - great stuff) We also have an extraordinary meditation on the redefinition of sin as worked by Jesus. At the beginning of the tale, we find the disciples questioning Jesus as to the cause of the blindness of a man blind from birth in terms of sin. Is he blind because of his sin, or that of his parents? At the end of the chapter, Jesus indicates the change in the understanding of blindness that has come about thanks to his presence: "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind" (John 9:39).
I have always stumbled through verse 39. This story from John is one of my favorites. In the light of Alison's comments about being 'wrong about God and about humanity - and wrong as actively involved in death' I am more and more wondering about how wrong we might be about judgment. In the creed we of Jesus: "he shall come to judge the living and the dead" and here we hear Jesus say, "for judgment I have come into this world." Too often the word judgment means (for many) a sorting of sorts. That is, who is naughty and who is nice. What will the judgment be?!? And yet, after the resurrection - after the power of death is confounded - is not judgment left up to the innocent victim? - is not judgment one that is for us and not against us. The judgment against is the judgment that put the innocent Jesus up on the cross. And yet, that judgment was wrong. It was a judgment made by humanity. It was a judgment we put onto God - as though this is what God wanted to have happen. But everything wrapped up with the crucifixion was wrong. Just as those religious leaders were wrong about the blind man - wrong to the point of being blind themselves. They - like all of us at times - claim to be right and victorious and inn control. None of that is true. In Jesus, we find out what is true about judgment - and it is the power of the innocent one to heal the world.
Connection: There is so much comedy in how we attempt to run the world and our lives. We seem to want to take the so-called bull by the horns and straighten things out and put all things in place - and yet that is not the way of the peaceable Reign of God. That way will be forgiveness upon forgiveness - healing upon healing - miraculous inclusion.
O God of life, continue to reveal yourself within the power of forgiveness that enable us to turn around and re-view your healing power so that life and vision and hope emerge even as we seem overcome by death and utter blindness. Amen.
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