Seeing with Christ

   "Lord, please let me see." Lk 18:41

Sometimes the gospel stories seem stark, and lack detail. This makes sense of course when one remembers that only a few people in Jesus' time were literate, and the intention of the gospels was not to write a biography of Jesus but to announce him as Messiah, son of God and savior of the world. Details were not important in a written form. The story teller could elaborate and fill the text with passion and power. for those who could not read

But the Gospels are not always stark. When the blind man today says "please," we stumble upon an important detail and a telling moment. Not only is the request polite, it pleads with Jesus to look upon a man who is an outcast from his own family and community. Condemned to a life of begging and isolation, the blind man, like Moses, (Ex 33) begs Jesus for help, and becomes an example for all.

Jesus often reminds us that because we have eyes does not mean that we really see. Only those who see with the heart will experience the fullness of the revelation. The blind man, even before he is healed, sees and knows the Lord as Messiah and so approaches him politely, but with hope and confidence. The Messiah's task is to open the eyes of all to the wonders of God's enduring care and love for the world, and because the blind man remembers this, he is healed.

Our task is the same. If we want to see, we must first acknowledge God as creator and redeemer. Only then will we know the Messiah in our hearts.

Today, open your eyes again to the wonder of the created world.

When are you most blind?

Nature as Teacher

 ""Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates." Lk 13:30

Jesus often uses images from nature to help his disciples understand his message. This is no accident. Because most of his disciples were illiterate, he could not urge them to read the Torah more carefully, but being illiterate did not mean they were unintelligent. Rather, they came from a class of people who had no access to education. In fact, they may have been brilliant in ways we could never imagine, but because they were illiterate, Jesus would have had to use stories, songs, and images from their everyday lives to help his followers grasp the content and power of the good news.

No wonder Jesus talked about learning from the fig tree. Because many leaders in the Jewish community of Jesus' day were locked into a narrow interpretation of the Torah (the law and prophets), they were unable to learn from the wisdom Jesus embodied and proclaimed. Even sadder, they dismissed Jesus' disciples as poor fisherman who knew nothing about the law or the prophets. At the very least, the Jews who refused to look beyond their own artificial boundaries needed to be pruned in order to let go of branches that were unproductive and were sucking the life out of the fig tree.

Today, ask yourself about your own prejudices. 

Have you know people without much formal education that taught you in ways you would never have expected?

The Persistent Widow

 "Because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her." Lk 18:5

Weariness afflicts us all from time to time. An adult child can't find a job or worse, a path of peace to walk. A marriage has become drudgery or a friend seems always to be needy, and no matter how often we try to stay positive, our energy seeps away and life becomes an unending series of tasks to complete, not an adventure. We smile thinly when friends ask how we are, but the best part of the day is getting in bed and going to sleep. Some of our struggles come to everyone, but others seem never ending and we wonder where God is in all that is happening within and around us.

We can be sure that God will always be as faithful to us as he was to the Jews of old. While we might grow weary and seek solace in places and people that offer only temporary relief, God will not abandon us, and Jesus' coming among us is the proof.

Today, take a few moments to remember how faithful God has been to you.

What circumstances in life make you most tired and doubtful?

Living and Dying Well

 "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it." Lk 17:33

The instinct to survive is strong. Very few people when facing the end of their life let go without a struggle. Although we see friends and family wrestle with cancer and wonder why they are willing to try almost any treatment, the fear of the unknown can overwhelm the best of intentions. In our everyday lives, we are urged to diet, exercise and relax regularly in order to live more healthily, and while this is understandable and good, we can become obsessed with preserving our lives.

Jesus is clear about all of this. While it is important to care for ourselves, we also need to examine our motives. Spending thousands of dollars for gym memberships and exercise equipment that we rarely use and ingesting all kinds of vitamins and herbs in the transparent attempt to resist the natural process of aging can be a not so subtle way of denying God's place in our lives.While it is important to eat well and reasonably, to walk regularly and care for our body as a gift from God, we ought also acknowledge and accept the reality of our own deaths.

The Christian who reads the Gospel with an open heart knows that the most basic Gospel challenge is to think and act on behalf of others, especially the suffering. Not to respond to the people of the Philippines because we are so obsessed with our own well being and fear of death is an offense against God and God's people. Only after meditating regularly and deeply on death and accepting its inevitability can we be sure that our efforts at self care are balanced with a heartfelt concern for others.

Today, give some time you don't have to help someone struggling to survive.

What are your biggest fears about death?