March 27, 2022 – Blind, Prodigal, Homeless Son

4th Sunday of Lent, Year A & Year C

Recording – Man Born Blind
Recording – Prodigal Son

Readings || Lecturas – Man Born Blind
Readings || Lecturas – Prodigal Son

Previous Years – Man Born Blind: 2018
Previous Years – Prodigal Son: 2019

Preached at Assumption Parish in Bellingham, WA

The Spanish homily was on another topic and is posted spearately.

English – Man Born Blind

Stages of Discipleship / Conversion

1. Experience of Christ
   1. Notice that Christ takes the initiative. The man does not even ask.
2. Those around you notice that your life has changed.
   1. You notice it, too, but you do not know much about Jesus or where to find him.
3. First challenge: division and resentment about whether this is a good or bad thing.
   1. “Is my life really different? Has it truly has an effect on me? Do I really want to be a Christian?”
4. Second challenge: abandonment by family and friends.
   1. They may resent you, or they may not have the same courage that you do.
5. Third challenge: anti-Christian sentiment; persecution by the wider society
   1. The man gives witness
6. Finally: An encounter with Christ
   1. Again, Jesus’ initiative
   2. Ends in worship

Application to Homelessness

• Most homeless folks have experienced trauma of some kind
  • Economic insecurity from a young age
    • Lack of education, lack of financial wherewithal
  • Broken families
    • Lack of community to support them when things go sideways
  • Mental Illness
  • Trauma of the street
• Imagine if the man born blind had not succeeded at every turn
  • Blind from birth, already disadvantaged
  • People around him do not recognize or notice him
  • Society rejects him, family abandons him, he begins to be persecuted
• All of this can only be healed in/through Christ.
• We are so blessed that our primary homelessness outreach ministry in Bellingham is deeply formed by Christ, because the kind of healing that needs to happen is far more than economical. There are deep traumas that need to be healed – family structures, histories, sexual traumas. Lighthouse is dedicated to seeing and healing the whole person.

English – Prodigal Son

No notes or text.