1 Samuel 16.1-13, Ephesians 5.8-14, John 9.1-41
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare
Throughout history, holding a respected name was worth a considerable amount. In ancient times, one might be given special consideration based on the power and prestige of a parent or grandparent.
Oh wait, that is still the case.
Even in a lifetime, a spectacular speech, a success in a pivotal battle, or another spotlight moment, can raise the profile of a name to legendary status. When a name for the legends is achieved, stories about its origin and the person who holds it are also celebrated. If someone falls from grace after achieving such attention and notoriety, the tumble attracts much attention from the great number of people who wish they could have that kind of money, power, or prestige for themselves (Madoff comes to mind).
But the reality of a name is that no matter how much or little it is known, it is our entry into the world and it conveys, to a certain set of people, a reputation. It may not always be a positive one, but a reputation, nonetheless. For most of us, it is a goal to raise our profile and usually we want to raise it in a way positive for the community we call our own.
This brings me to a reflection about the Gospel lesson today. It is often the case that we read and reflect on a short passage of scripture on Sunday. But today, we examine and meditate on an entire chapter of the Gospel of John. A few weeks ago, I preached on another story from John’s gospel about a man named Nicodemus (click to read "Sherlock"). There are only a few verses describing Nicodemus’ interactions with Jesus and yet we know his name. The same can be said for many other Biblical characters, mentioned briefly, yet whose names remain alive. But in today’s lesson, John describes the miraculous healing of a man born blind. The focus of the story remains on this unlikely convert. We are introduced to his parents, his friends, the people who had passed by him day after day. His story takes an entire chapter, 41 verses, but his name is never revealed. After the miraculous healing, he is simply designated as the “man born blind.” That is certainly not very specific. How do we classify him from all the others born blind? Is it right to limit him from the many other ways he might distinguish himself? Why doesn’t John just tell us his name, make up a name? For no other reason than to make it easier to describe who is or about whom someone is speaking. The same can be said for last week’s lesson about the Samaritan woman (click to read "Turn Our Suffering Into Strength"), who encounters Jesus at Jacob’s Well, challenges him, comes to believe, and then begins the work of converting her community to follow “The Way.”
We are forced to refer to these two unlikely evangelists as the “Man Born Blind,” and the “Samaritan Woman.” It seems such a disservice for their names to be lost to history and it is a shame to limit their lives to only a small part of who they were. And yet they remain anonymous servants of God’s Word.
Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” And answered, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” These words, from the mouth of Juliet, are understood to mean that what something is or does is more important than a name or an appearance or a social status. Most of us would claim this to be a philosophy to live by. Don’t judge a book by its cover. But, we are challenged in making it happen. For God, that was the true measure of a person. It went deeper than any limits that a name can place on us.
Take the man born blind. He was of the lowest class, a beggar at the steps of the Temple, who spent his days hoping to claim the generosity of those who passed by. The disciples, and I’m sure many others in the mainstream, believed that the blindness was a curse for his sins or those of his family. In other words, the blindness was the result of his name. But not for Jesus. This man was not cursed for his or anyone else’s sins. He was there for God. Jesus acknowledged the man, put mud in his eyes and instructed him to wash it at the pool of Siloam. He was healed.
The only difference was that the man born blind could now see; yet even those who sat day-to-day on those same steps could not recognize him. It was as if they were blind. His parents claimed him, but in fear of retribution they wouldn’t back his testimony about his healing. They said, “Ask him!” The Pharisees didn’t marvel at the miraculous, they questioned Jesus’ sin and accused the man born blind of treachery. In each encounter with those who doubted, the healed man became more confident and pointed out the stumbling blocks of the Pharisee’s logic. He said if Jesus were not from God, then he could do nothing. Only someone from God could do a miracle such as this. Rejoice in it. Instead, the Pharisees drove him out because of their fear. Jesus healed the most unlikely person, someone forgotten by most, acknowledged by few.
Jesus turned the tables by choosing the marginalized, even nameless people, to take up his cause. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This is not an uncommon theme for God’s call. God could see past names, education, and money. God calls unlikely people. In today’s first lesson we hear about the selection of a successor to King Saul. That, in itself, is a very dangerous endeavor. Those who possess absolute authority are wary of possibly losing that power. Being chosen to replace an existing king was as risky as being a possible successor to Gaddafi in Libya.
Samuel had selected Saul because of his great height (he stood a head taller than anyone else) and he had a stunning appearance. (Samuel 9.2) Samuel thought that would make him a great king. But Saul proved that height and appearance do not guarantee someone will succeed as king. The story we heard this morning begins with Samuel grieving the lost hope of Saul, who continued to fail in everything he did. God calls Samuel from that grief to Bethlehem to the household of Jesse, to anoint a new king. Unlike Saul’s father, Jesse was not a man of privilege. He was descended from prostitutes, foreigners, and common people. He was a shepherd. Samuel was a legendary judge whose name was known across the land for his wisdom, but with all of that success dealing with the country’s conflicts, he was unable to see into the soul of a person. He, like we often do, made judgments based on first impressions. Just as he did when he chose Saul, Samuel sees a king in Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son. But God turns him away because “The Lord looks on the heart.”
We hear about Eliab, Abinidab, and Shammah and four additional sons of Jesse. Each one looked the part of a king, but God turned each away. There is only one other son, the youngest, who was minding the sheep. In comparison with his brothers, he was just a little kid, only worth enough to watch the sheep, and not even invited to the special ceremony with the legendary Samuel. That, on top of being from a family of the lowest class, makes him an unlikely choice as king. Even before a word is spoken, God claimed him as the one. Only then do we discover that his name is David.
After years of trials, David assumes the mantle of king. He was certainly not perfect, but he united the kingdom and ushered in a Golden Age. He was an unlikely choice. He did not appear to resemble a king, but who he was, deep down, proved that he was. It doesn’t matter what is on the outside, God know what’s on the inside.
God looks in unlikely places, even to people innocently ignorant of their gifts, to find true servants. We know the name of David but the majority of names called by God have been lost to history. They are like the “man born blind” or the “Samaritan woman.”
Most of us will live our lives in forgotten service. We won’t to honored with great fanfare or receive the humanitarian prize at the Kiwanis Club. But, then, that is not what service to God is all about. The Pharisees, in today’s lesson, were trying to fix the world to support their position. They wanted to eliminate other perspectives, most especially Jesus followers, in order to celebrate themselves. Jesus, in the final verses of chapter 9, calls them blind, not in the physical sense, but spiritually. They were not open to the light of the world because they were blinded by selfish desires. True sight is found by moving through ignorance to recognize the light of Jesus as the Son of Man. The Pharisees can’t believe that someone would consider them blind, but that question, after witnessing the miraculous, is a judgment of their sinful self-centeredness. Put your name in the place of the one born blind. That is who we are. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” As Paul calls to us in Ephesians, “Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.” (5.8) Open your eyes and see that God is in your life. God is everywhere. And Jesus came into the world so that we might see.” (John 9.41)
April 3, 2011
Lent 4A
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