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Yesterday we were reminded that we are "are children of the light and children of the day." But this is not are default state. We are not born into the light, as would have been the case if Adam and Eve had not sinned. They would have been able to bequeath the gift of light they were given to all of their offspring. But instead we were born in darkness, as surely as this blind beggar was in darkness.
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
Spiritual blindness is in fact a greater blindness than the physical blindness of the eyes. Physical blindness impairs our ability to navigate and appreciate the physical world. But spiritual blindness prevents us from recognizing and pursuing that which is for our greatest good. The ways in which we stumble spiritually have much greater gravity than any physical fall. Physically we use sight to set the direction journeys we undertake. But spiritually we set the direction for our soul. And without the light how can we hope to arrive safely at our eternal destiny?
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
We were not born with the knowledge of Jesus. We had to be told to recognize when he was passing by in our own lives. Thank God for the followers of Jesus who tell others when he is passing by.
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
This is what we will shout every time he passes as long as we realize that we are still afflicted by blindness to one degree or another. We still chase after the wrong things, as if they were light, when they are in fact darkness. The more we can identify with this blind beggar, the more powerfully we can entreat the Lord for healing.
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
The world has all sorts of reasons to silence us when we ask Jesus for help. They tend to think he should be concerned with bigger problems than ours, whether the Roman occupation or global warming or whatever else. But we are meant to sense in Jesus a hope that is not first for those issues, though they do matter, but for us, for our hearts. When he passes by do we dare to hope that he cares about us enough to heal us?
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus passing by is an invitation to faith. It is always an invitation to move from darkness into light. Let us imitate the faith of this blind beggar today.
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
If we have "lost the love" we "had at first" this can only be because we have squandered the light that Jesus shone on us. We did not make good use of the enlightenment that our baptism brought to our souls. But if this is so, no matter, Jesus is passing by! He can open our eyes again. And looking on him, our love will be rekindled.
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