Light and Blindness
Scripture reading: Healing of the man born blind (Jn 9:1-41)
The miracle of the healing of the man born blind is closely connected to Jesus as the Light of the world. It is not clear from the Gospel text when it was exactly that Jesus declared to the scribes and the Pharisees, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12); but it most probably happened sometime between the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), both of which are celebrations that has something to do with light.
The Feast of Dedication lasts for eight days and commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. In the Feast of Tabernacles, there was, in Jesus’ time, a great ceremony called the “Illumination of the Temple,” which involved the lighting of four golden oil lamps in the Court of Women. These lamps were each seventy-five feet high and were lit all night long; they illuminated the entire city. The light from these lamps reminded the people of the pillar of fire that appeared shortly after Moses led the Israelites out of their captivity in Egypt, and continued to guide them at night through the desert for forty years.
If Jesus, in fact, made His declaration during the Feast of Tabernacles, imagine the sight and the impact of the words “I am the Light of the world” which Jesus said at the temple courtyard with the four huge golden lamps at the background. The Messiah is the Light promised by God to deliver the world darkened by sin. By saying “I am the Light of the world,” Jesus declared Himself as the Messiah, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the ‘Light’ promised by God (cf. Isaiah 9:1).
The disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) Back then, physical blindness was believed to be caused by sin; but Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” (John 9:3) Through the healing of the man born blind, Jesus not only demonstrated His divine power to heal, but He also made the point that spiritual blindness leads to eternal death.
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.” (John 9:39) The first part pertains to people like the man born blind – he was physically blind, but after Jesus healed him, he was able to see Jesus and believe in Him. The second part pertains to people like the scribes and the Pharisees – they can physically see Jesus, but because of their hardness of heart, were not able to see who Jesus truly is.
In Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest. He came as the “Light of the world.” (CCC 2466) John 12 tells us that Jesus came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in Him might not remain in darkness. (John 12:46) As the Light of the world, Jesus shines His light on those who live in the darkness of sin, so that they may see the truth, believe in Him and come out to live in the light of Christ. Jesus said, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) That is what it means to live in the light of Christ – to live in the truth which sets us free from the bondage of sin.