There is a lot of nonsense talked about how you can look into someone’s eyes and know whether they are trustworthy, or even maybe if you are in love.
Doubtless we have ways to judge people based on small behavioral hints that operate at a level below our conscious awareness. Our relationship with dogs or horses probably operates at a similar level. However we would be unwise to make a serious decision about any relationship (personal, political, or commercial) based on gazing into someone’s eyes.
Our scripture readings today are all about seeing and appearances, and the judgements that follow on. We are warned by the story of Samuel and Jesse: “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a). The gospel story is even more dramatic since here Jesus takes someone who cannot see at all and enables him to see (John 9:1-41).
In both cases the point is that God leads the process. And what God is looking for, what he is seeing, is not the person as they are, but what they can be. David may be a fine, strapping kid, but that’s not why God is calling him. God knows what he can and will be, not by his own efforts, but because God will make him so. Having been chosen, “from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David”.
In the gospel the blind man knows something is up. Well, duh! And he thinks Jesus is a prophet – just like the initial reaction of the Samaritan woman at the well, that we heard about last week (John 4:5-42). For them ‘prophet’ meant simply holy and special. Well, yes, what else could you say having been given the gift of sight. If the same happened today you’d doubtless think your surgeon was pretty special, and maybe even that you had been blessed.
But the blind man, even when he sees, doesn’t understand who Jesus is. He doesn’t recognize his divinity. It’s only when Jesus spells it out: “the one speaking with you is he [the Son of Man]” that finally the blind man recognizes who he is looking at and “worships him”.
Paul uses an even more extreme metaphor than seeing. He quotes from Isaiah to describe the transformation as coming back from death to life: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:8-14)
We are called, cured, awakened, anointed, chosen,… and given light. Light, the first gift in God’s creation, the power that sustains every living thing. God sees into us and gives us himself.