4th Sunday of Lent

Yahweh asked Samuel, "How long will you be grieving over Saul whom I have

rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the

Bethlehemite for I have chosen my king from among his sons." As they came, Samuel

looked at Eliab the older and thought, "This must be Yahweh's anointed." But

Yahweh told Samuel, "Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him.

Yahweh does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; Yahweh sees the

heart." Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, "Yahweh has chosen

none of them. But are all your sons here?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest,

tending the flock just now." Samuel said to him, "Send for him and bring him to me;

we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives." So Jesse sent for his youngest son and

brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful

eyes. And Yahweh spoke, "Go, anoint him for he is the one." Samuel then took the

horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers' presence. From that day onwards,

Yahweh's Spirit took hold of David. Then Samuel left for Ramah.

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of

light; the fruits of light are kindness, justice and truth in every form. You yourselves

search out what pleases the Lord, and take no part in works of darkness that are of no

benefit; expose them instead. Indeed it is a shame even to speak of what those people

do in secret, but as soon as it is exposed to the light, everything becomes clear. And

what has become clear becomes light. Therefore it is said: "Awake, you who sleep,

arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine on you."

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples

asked him, "Master, was he born blind because of a sin of his, or of his parents?" Jesus

answered, "Neither was it for his own sin nor for his parents'. He was born blind so

that God's power might be shown in him. While it is day we must do the work of the

One who sent me; for the night will come when no one can work. As long as I am in

the world, I am the light of the world." As Jesus said this, he made paste with spittle

and clay and rubbed it on the eyes of the blind man. Then he said, "Go and wash in

the Pool of Siloam." (This name means sent.) So he went and washed and came back

able to see. His neighbours and all the people who used to see him begging, wondered.

They said, "Isn't this the beggar who used to sit here?" Some said, "It's the one."

Others said, "No, but he looks like him." But the man himself said, "I am the one. The

people brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a sabbath

day when Jesus made mud paste and opened his eyes. The Pharisees asked him again,

"How did you recover your sight?" And he said, "He put paste on my eyes, and I

washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for

he works on the sabbath"; but others wondered, "How can a sinner perform such

miraculous signs?" They were divided and they questioned the blind man again, "What

do you think of this man who opened your eyes?" And he answered, "He is a prophet."

They answered him, "You were born a sinner and now you teach us!" And they

expelled him. Jesus heard that they had expelled him. He found him and said, "Do you

believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "Who is he, that I may believe in him?"

Jesus said, "You have seen him and he is speaking to you. He said, "Lord, I believe";

and he worshiped him.