RBWords

     The story of Jesus' and the Blind Man at Jericho can easily slip by us as just another miracle story.  But there are a couple of twists that are worth our attention.  First of all, when the blind man asks who is passing by, the crowd accompanying Jesus replies, "Jesus of Nazareth."  However, the blind man calls out with a different title, "Jesus, Son of David!"  That is a title of faith, a faith the crowd does not seem to show.  They only say, "Jesus of Nazareth!"  In fact, they try to silence the blind man, who is the one who really "sees" with eyes of faith.  Jesus' statement confirms this, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."  It is not physical sight that saved the blind man.  It is his sight of faith that led him to ask Jesus for physical sight.

     The second, perhaps more existential, twist is the application of the story to our own situations.  It takes faith to call out to Jesus and to recognize that we are in need of his help.  Then comes the person-to-person question: "What do you want me to do for you?"  Often, we are confronted with challenges that seem beyond our ability to respond.  We have faith but we cannot "see" the way forward.  Acknowledging our need for help, which may come in the form of a concerned friend or even a stranger, is a big step.  We may feel we have to yell louder than the complacent crowd but Jesus will already "heard" our faith.  Are we ready with our need when he asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" AMEN