DO YOU SEE THE SON OF MAN?
The gospel reading for next Sunday is John 9:1-41, a story of a blind beggar. The disciples ask whether the man is blind because of someone's sin. Jesus says not for some sin but that God may do a sign. He then heals the man born blind by spitting on the ground, making mud, rubbing it on the man’s eyes, and telling him to wash it off in the pool of Siloam. Because Jesus did this on the Sabbath it brings on another struggle with the hostile Pharisees.
After the healing the Pharisees are grilling the formerly blind man, who is sarcastic with them and gets kicked out. Hearing about this, Jesus finds the man and asks him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
In John’s gospel Jesus does miracles and the miracles bring on faith in Jesus as the divine one come from God. In the synoptic gospels he seems to use “son of man” as an oblique title for himself as a human being. But this is John’s gospel where the highly charged term has cosmic implications. This was not lost on the blind Judean in the story nor would it have been lost on John’s likely audience, a late first century or early second century Jewish Christian church. The title is messianic. Jesus stirs the image of the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13-14, a figure who appeared to Daniel in a night vision. The Son of Man would not be simply a human creature but a divine being whom God the Ancient of Days would summon to himself then send to earth with power and authority. In asking the healed beggar, “Do you believe in the Son of Man,” Jesus claims the divine title for himself. And the blind man sees. But Jesus’ enemies are too blind to see. The story is almost lyrical.
Listen as Daniel tells his beautiful dream:
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Like the man who was blind, we also see Jesus here.
May your day be truly blessed.
May you see the Son of Man every day.
And may all the world see the Son of Man in your lifetime.
Fr. Tom+
Photo: thanks again, RevRay.
Photo: thanks again, RevRay.