Family Resemblance: The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:8-12

Ps. 118

1 Jn 3:1-2

Jn 10:11-18

The more I reflect on these passages, the more I am struck by the enormous contrast being made between those who see, hear, recognize and know Christ, and those who don’t. In our Gospel reading, Jesus has just healed a blind man, who rightly responds with an unabashed defense of Christ to the Pharisees, and then with worship. When they drive the man out, Jesus returns to the scene to say, “I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see may see” (Jn 9:39). and then he continues with a long shepherding analogy, which culminates in today’s passage.

While the blind man sees, the Pharisees do not see. Nor do those temple authorities to whom Peter speaks in our Acts passage, following a very similar miracle. Peter’s words to them even suggest that they are so blind to the significance of their past actions that they might need some very specific reminding: “Jesus Christ the Nazorean, whom you crucified...He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” Meanwhile, “the people” recognize and praise God for the miracle that had been done.

Duccio, "Healing of the Blind Man," c. 1308

And then, our letter from St John refers to the “children of God,” and the world who knows neither them nor Christ.

The contrast may seem quite obvious, but to be honest, I find it makes me just a bit nervous when I think about it. It reminds me of the parable of the bridesmaids, and I believe maybe there are more- which ends with Jesus saying to those who are late, “I do not know you” (Mt 25:12). What exactly does it mean to see and know God, and are there ways and times in my life that I don’t?

I take comfort in these words from St John’s letter: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God;” and from his Gospel: “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The sheep do nothing, except to recognize the shepherd- but the shepherd does everything, by laying down his life. A simple acceptance of this extraordinary love is what is required, a grateful recognition of our great need.

From the catacombs in Rome, the Good Shepherd, 2nd cent.

But what seems to happen after this is a growing family resemblance in the children of God. In our Gospel reading, Jesus heals a blind man, and then returns to the Pharisees to express his mission, to show them who he is. In Acts, his disciples heal a lame man, and then proclaim, without reserve, who Christ is and the very deep need to know him, to see him. There is so much joy in being a child of God that one cannot help but speak him and show him, in the hopes that others might share in this joy and become part of the “one flock” (Jn 10:16).

But I also take comfort in the end of our passage from St John’s letter: “We do know that when [what we shall be] is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” It is crucial to see, hear, recognize and know Christ, but there are also degrees. Our life here is a process of becoming more like him, of becoming children with a greater family resemblance, from our growing knowledge of him. And our growth begins and ends with his extraordinary love.