28 May 2015 - that i might see

Let us be like Bartimaeus this morning.

Let us say to Jesus, "Master, I want to see."

We are all blind to some degree. We don't say, "I recall God's works; what I have seen I will describe" because we don't see it.  Even though the way in which God's glory fills all things is "clear to all" we are still somehow blind to it.

After all, God's works are amazing! "How beautiful are all his works! even to the spark and fleeting vision!" Even if we see this to some degree, "can one ever see enough of their splendor?"

And so we pray, "I want to see."

We ask Jesus to have pity on us so that we can see that his kindness fills the earth.

Because, after all, we see a lot in this world that is imperfect. We see many things which are less than kindness. We do not always see beauty. We do not see as much justice and right as we would like. There is a deeper truth than this ugliness. There is a beauty untainted to which we long for our eyes to be opened. There is a deep purpose to all things which the corruption of sin is unable to taint or destroy.

And so we pray, "I want to see."

Even amidst the sufferings of this world we want to see God's hand at work restoring and giving life. We do not ask to be distracted by abstractions with no connection to the world in which we live. We ask to see the beauty of God's purpose even here and now. We long to say, "O Blessed Fault! O Necessary sin of Adam!" as we behold the beauty that God brings forth even through our weakness, even through our ugliness, even through our failure.

And so we pray, "I want to see."

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

And we pray "I want to see."

And we hear, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." But we cannot go our own way anymore. Together with Bartimaeus we follow Jesus on his way.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.