Do You See and Hear?

Do You See and Hear?

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Take a moment now to put yourself into today’s Gospel. You are blind and sitting by the side of the road. You are totally dependent on the generosity of others. (Remember there was no Social Security, Braille, computers that speak, nor even guide dogs.) Animals were valued more than the lame and the blind in first century Palestine. You are sitting at the side of the road, begging for food and money. Suddenly you hear a crowd coming along. You remain still and listen. You hear the name Jesus. You think to yourself—could it be really the healer from Nazareth you have heard so much about? Your heart leaps with joy. But that joy is soon silenced as the crowd pushes you away. You have faith however and you determinedly find Jesus. Jesus tells the crowd to back off and let you through. Jesus asks you what you want. You might think to yourself isn’t it obvious what I want? To be healed! Jesus should know this, you think, He knows all. You do answer Jesus and you asked to be healed. You have the faith, Jesus saw your faith, and between your faith and Jesus’ healing power your eyes are opened and you can see! Glory be!

Have you ever wondered why so often in the Gospel when an ill, lame, blind or deaf person approaches Jesus and He asks them what they want of Him. I have often thought it was odd since Jesus knows all, then He should know what they wanted—to be whole and healed. Jesus knows, however, that often it is WE who do not know what we want of Jesus. By asking us to state what we want we have to think about what we are asking and what our intentions are. He is asking us to think about our faith, to reflect on our needs and wants and where faith fits in to our plans. Jesus could have easily read the blind man’s mind, snapped His fingers and healed the man’s eyes and the man would have been cured. But by asking the man “what did he want” Jesus also opened the man’s mind and heart to faith as well as his eyes and ears.

Today… reflect upon what you want or need and talk to Jesus. He already knows what is on your mind but He desires a conversation with you. Open your eyes, your ears, your mind and your heart and you will find peace in the Lord. "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."