Our Gospel passage today is a long and very powerful one taken from the Gospel of John (9:1–41). It tells the story of Jesus encountering a man who had been blind from birth. Seeing the man, the disciples asked Jesus a question that reflects a belief common in the Jewish culture of that time: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”
Jesus’ answer immediately changes the perspective of the conversation. He says, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him.”
At first, the disciples’ question sounds strange to us. How could a man who was born blind have sinned to deserve such a condition? Did he somehow sin while still in his mother’s womb?
To understand the disciple’s question, we must remember that some Jews at the time believed that the soul pre-existed before birth. Because of this belief, they sometimes thought that suffering in this life could be the result of sins committed in a previous existence. In other words, they had an idea similar to what many cultures today call reincarnation.
However, it is important to clarify that the Church does not believe in reincarnation. Reincarnation teaches that a soul lives many different lives in different bodies. Christianity teaches something very different: the Incarnation. Jesus did not reincarnate—He incarnated. The eternal Son of God took on human flesh once and for all in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Each human life is unique and unrepeatable, and we are called to live it faithfully before God.
There are many lessons we could draw from this rich Gospel passage, but I would like us to focus on just one important point—the confusion that arose after the man born blind was healed.
After Jesus restored the man’s sight, the people who had known him before began to argue among themselves. They said, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he,” while others said, “No, but it is someone like him.” Meanwhile, the man kept insisting: “I am the man.”
The transformation was so great that people could hardly believe it. They had known him as a blind beggar. Now they saw him walking, seeing, and speaking with confidence. The change brought about by the grace of God was so powerful that it left people confused.
That is the power of God’s grace. It transforms lives so deeply that people can hardly recognize the person anymore. It reminds us of the beautiful words of the hymn: Amazing Grace. “I once was lost, but now I am found; was blind, but now I see.”
We see a similar pattern in our first reading today. God sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king of Israel. Jesse presented seven of his sons before Samuel. Each of them looked strong and impressive, but God rejected them all.
Yet Jesse had another son—David—the youngest. He was not even considered important enough to be called to the meeting. He was out in the fields taking care of the sheep. Perhaps Jesse thought he was too young, too insignificant, or simply not worthy to be considered. But when he was eventually brought in, God said to Samuel: “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” The one who was overlooked by people was the one chosen by God.
My brothers and sisters, sometimes in our Christian journey, we are tempted to see ourselves only through the lens of our weaknesses and failures. We lower ourselves—not in true humility, but in discouragement or rejection of who we truly are in God’s eyes.
Yes, we must humble ourselves before God. Yes, we must acknowledge our sins. But we must never allow our sins or weaknesses to become our identity.
A Christian is not defined by his past sins but by God’s grace. Though I can say: Yes, I have sinned—but I should also be able to say, I am not condemned; I am redeemed, because
God’s grace has the power to lift us from where we are to a place we never imagined.
When God truly transforms a life, people begin to ask questions. They say, “Is this not the same person?” Others might say, “No, it cannot be him—it must be someone else.” That is what the grace of God can do.
This is why the season of Lent is such a precious gift. Lent is not meant to discourage us or make us feel hopeless about our sins. Rather, it is an opportunity for new sight, new life, and new beginnings.
No matter how far we may have drifted spiritually, we can rise again. No matter how long we may have been living in darkness, the light of Christ can reach us. All we need is to cry out sincerely in repentance to God for mercy and grace.
Even if you feel that you have not been faithful to your Lenten commitments, today can still be a new beginning. Today can be the start of a renewed relationship with God.
The man in the Gospel began the day as a blind beggar. By the end of the story, he not only sees with his eyes but also recognizes Jesus as Lord.
So as we celebrate this Fourth Sunday of Lent, a Sunday of rejoicing in the middle of our Lenten journey, let us open our hearts to God’s transforming grace.Let us allow Christ to heal our blindness—whatever form it may take: spiritual blindness, sin, discouragement, or doubt. And then we too will be able to say with confidence: “I was once lost, but now I am found. I was blind, but now I see.”