The Man born Blind, Pharisees, and the Jews: A Reversal of Conditions

“Nung makananung ing bangka lalabulan neng parayu ning anging masikan, agyang ing metung karing panamdam a nung nu ya makatutuk ing isip malyari neng idayu byesnan ing metung a tau.”

~ Dalit ning Kakataskatasang Panginwan, Dangka 2, Sunis 66-67 (The Song of God ? 2:66-67)

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Ing sanu mumutus karing sablang panamdam tamu? Ing sanu ing magyagyag bang kimut la bisa la’t ali deti? Ninu ing pekapun da ring sablang panamdam–at maralas nung e man parati–yang mapapamintu kaburyan at utus?

Iti malyari yang maging kalaban at kasalang o kakampi at kakaluguran dapot agpang king nung nanu ing laman na pusu ning ninu man. Nung ing laman ning pusu mu kapangaybugan ita ing iyutus niti karing panamdam at nung ing laman ning pusu mu ya pin ing ikatula ning Apung Ginu— iti iyutus na naman kareng

panamdam ing kimut king ikatula ning Apung Ginu.

Iti ing isip.

Iti ing talapanutus karing panamdam o senses nung nanu ing gawan da. Iti ing kukumpas kareti. Nung buri na liku yang wanan ing metung karing panamdam— liku ya naman iti. Nung buri na takman yang alak ing dila, mipaynum ya ing tau. Nung buri na manalbe yang manawang a piyalben ing tau, mipayalbe la ring mata king manawang.

Antita ya kayupaya ing isip anting tubud ning pusu ning kekarkaln kekatamu. Tuki-tuki ya king pusu at kapagnasan ning tau at tataklayid na no man ding aliwang panamdam— mata para king pamaglawe o pamanakit, arung para king pamau, dila para king panlasa, balugbug para king panandam, balat para king pamanagkil, ding gamit king pamakisiping o sex organs.

Nung atin yang sakit o e na ampatan ing pamisip ing tau, ding panamdam mengari lang limang kabayung mulandit nung nu da buri agyang kawa-kawani la dane pupuntalan.

In this Sunday’s gospel (John 9:1-41) we see a reversal of conditions – the man born blind was able to see the Lord, while the Pharisees who were born seeing did not see in the miracle that unfolded in their midst the God they have long been seeking.

The man whom Jesus healed was born blind, but his blindness was not due to any sin that he or his parents have committed.

Rather, he was blind so that his healing would make the works of God visible through him (verse 3).

Here we appreciate the fact that that while it is true that God may occasionally use disease to punish the disobedient (see as examples Deuteronomy 28:21, Leviticus 26:25, Ezekiel 14:21, Numbers 14:12, 2 Kings 5:20-27, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21), not all who are sick are sick because they are being punished by the Lord. Much of sickness comes from the devil who comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy, but thanks be to God, Jesus came to give us life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

The good news is that as believers we can rely on the Greatest Physician of all for our healing. He is the God who, in Exodus 15:26, introduced himself as “the Lord who heals you.” Thus, when Jesus came, he showed us the face of the Father by going around, curing every disease and illness among the people (Matthew 4:23).

Jesus healed the man of his physical blindness, but more than this, he also cured him of his spiritual blindness. When Jesus revealed himself as the Son of Man, this man both believed him and worshiped him.

The Pharisees, however, had a different reception of this miracle. They argued that the healing must not have come from God, for how could a man like Jesus disobey the Sabbath law of rest? Others, on the other hand, did not believe that the man was blind prior to the claimed healing. Conditions have been reversed: the blind man seeing, and the Pharisees losing sight.

The Pharisees were blinded by their fanatic interpretation of the Law. They should have learned from Jesus who, in Luke 6:9, explained that the spirit behind the Sabbath is to do good and not evil, and to save life rather than to destroy it. Healing the blind man was an act of goodness; therefore, Jesus did not violate the Law. By what he did, he did not abolish the Law but, in fact, fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17).

Others were in disbelief, probably because of pride. ‘How can a poor blind beggar be the recipient of such grand mercy from God?”, they might have thought. How can this ordinary man with humble status and presumably low education teach them spiritual truths? Again, they should have learned from Jesus who taught us, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

Many times, we are like the Pharisees in the story. Our legalistic mindset blinds us to simply comply with rules and regulations rather than live a faith that manifests itself in love. We accept the letter of the Law but not the spirit behind it. Couple this with our arrogant hearts and we will fail to see the miraculous goodness of God happening before our very eyes.

May this gospel remind us to seek God’s will in its fullness, and not in bits and parts only. May we have open hearts that recognize and welcome the promptings of his Spirit, and like the poor man, may we ask God to heal us of all the blinders that prevent us from seeing his Lordship, goodness and grace.

Anti mu naman kanita ing nung malasing ya ing tau o makainum yang bawal a panulu o drugs. Deng panamdam garapal la kimut. Burara la dapat. Bala kabayu lang mamulang.

Ba’mung ayampat la ring panamdam, sukat ta’yang ampatan o i-control ing isip at ing malagwang paralan ya pin ing isipan ta Ya parati ing Apung Ginu at bang arapat ta’ita kaylangan parati tamung gagale, daralit at mamaus karing Banal nang Lagyu ning Kakataskatasang Ginu.

Pengaku na kekatamu ning Ginu king Dalit ning Kakataskatasang Panginwan, Dangka 18, Sunis 65:

“Parati mu Kung isipan at magi kang talasuyu Ku.

Samban mu Ku at midaun kang pamigalang Kanaku.

Kanita dasnan Mu kung alang kamalyan.

Pangaku Ku keka ini uling ika ing Kanakung pekamakamal a kakaluguran.” ***

Dake Talabaldugan:

1. mipalagywan (panguri) mikalagyu, mibansagan, mirinang lagyu o bansag, mibinyagan, meyaus. English - named, called, dubbed, labeled, termed, titled, entitled, bagtized, denominated, christened. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Mipalagywan yang bako i Aring Tarik Suliman pauli ding dakal a bako at bakawan king keyang gabun a beytan ning Mawling Makabebe.”

2. mipalaut¹ (pangdiwa) mipadayu, miparayu, mipataloto, miras king malaut o marayu, migtagumpe, misaplala, ikwa ing parasan. English - been very successful in the future, have come a long way. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Agyang sadya yang pakakalulu i Rosing, neng asne katyaga at kasipag subali pa keng byasa ne, inya sa’t mipalaut ya king pamibyebye na pati na ding pakamalan na king bye.”

3. mipalaut² (pangdiwa) mipadayu, miparayu, mipataloto, miras king malaut o marayu. English - went astray, deviated, went adrift, transgressed, wandered, drifted, got lost goen astray. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Mipalaut ing pisasabyan da reng mitataltalan angga na inyang mipanumbuk na la mu anggang alang menawat.”

4. mipalkarine (panguri) marine king balang metung, e mibasa lub, tatablan ning dine agnan, madaraig king dine king nanu mang sangkan. English - feel ashamed mutually, ashamed alike, similarly ashamed wih one another. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Neng atang malambat na lang e mikikit mipisan inya agyang misisiping na la napun pa di Paeng at Oweng— mipalkarine la pa mu rin inya e la mipamulad.”

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SADYANG GAWI DA RENG KAPAMPANGAN

Neng mikakasakit la reng kabalen kanita awsan deng tambing ing ilut o manilut ning balen. Keraklan matwa ne iti. Magdala yang nanu-nanung pabulung-bulung, almiris at pandaldak at miyayaliwang laru a makisamut bulung, bini o nanu pang aliwang sangkap a panulu na. Maralas atin yang birya, mangkiku, sanapismu, balsamu at aliwa pang mekalingwan nang panulu da reng kalupa nang ilut.

Inyang melambat na, mika-manulu nang matas a pegaralan o doktor inya sa’t melagad na ing pamanaus keng matwang ilut angga na king meyangu ne bye at ala nang menalili a kalupa nang ilut. Ing senayang iti mekalingwan na ngeni at pati doktor a pupunta karing masakit kareng bale ra ala na. Metung na namang gawi a mekalingwan na iti.

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Salamat pung dakal king pamanangkilik keng Kapisik at SunStar Pampanga. Malyari ko pung mag-email keng kek’ong talasulat king garciakragi@yahoo.com, mag-text o maus para karing kutang o munikala: 0942-3924-399 o 09453795-270.