Lent 2014: Man born blind

John 9:1-12,35-41

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Everyone just assumed that this man's blindness came about as a punishment for a serious sin. Normal life for him meant that everyone looked down on him and judged him as unworthy. They assumed the worst of him because they assumed his blindness was a result of either his sin or his parents'. Even Jesus' disciples, after all the time they had spent with Him and the compassion they had seen poured out toward others whose afflictions would have been seen as punishments, still assumed that this man was only living out the misery which he (or his parents) deserved.
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After receiving his sight, this man cast his lot with Jesus despite the consequences in his local town. His neighbors had always looked down on him anyway. Why should he remain loyal to them and to the Pharisees in the synagogue rather than to the one man who gave him the ability to see? We will also surely face negative consequences if we cast our lot with Jesus. Christian compassion may be popular but Christian morals certainly are not. We may be looked down upon by our neighbors, cast out of social clubs, and forced to choose one or the other. Will you choose to reject the Healer and remain with the people you naturally interact with regularly? Or will you accept rejection from humans and cast your lot with the Son of Man?