As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43
“The story of the blind man is our own story, since we are blind in many matters. Jesus passes near us. Perhaps the moment has come for us to leave the ditch by the roadside and accompany Him…
From Saint Luke we. know that he followed Him, glorifying God and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God… We also have received many graces, as great as or greater than that received by the blind man of Jericho. And our Lord is hoping also that our life and our conduct will help many find Jesus in the world of today.
And he followed Him on the way, glorifying God. This is a summary of what our own life may be if we have the living and operative faith of the blind man.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 458-459.
Are you in the ditch? That’s where I find myself sometimes.
Notice those leading the proverbial procession don’t help the blind man out of the ditch; they rebuke him and tell him to stay there.
Too often we listen to the lack of faith of others and we let it immobilize us.
Not this blind man. And not you and me, I pray. The blind man in Luke’s account had a living and operative faith. No naysayer would come between him and the Healer.
The generosity in this scene for us to imitate, is the generosity of our Lord Jesus. He sees and hears the faith of the person and affirms it.
Do we hear the faith of improbable people and beckon them to leave the ditch?
This may be my greatest joy as part of GTP. We invite people out of the ditch and empower them. to exercise their living and operative faith. Need help in this area.
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