Matthew 20: 29-34
Shouting Above the Din
This is the account of Jesus healing the two blind men who were along the roadside near Jericho. Our initial attention is drawn to the miracle or to the faith for healing displayed by the two men. Something else, or in addition, drew my attention this morning. It must have been fairly loud for the men to have had to shout out to Jesus, and then they were possibly drowned out by the stern warning of others who wanted Jesus’ attention. They shouted even louder though in order to be able to "see". Jesus responded to them and then they acted as well. They followed him.
We too are surrounded by shouting, and often we are among those adding to the din, but are our shouts calls to Jesus to enable us to “see”? Do we, as the blind men did, shout over the other concerns and worries to call on Jesus to give us sight, or understanding? When I am granted that sight, do I respond and recommit to God’s way as these men did, or do I respond by thinking, well, that’s just too hard for me, or that’s not the way I want life to be?
Most of us are not physically blind, but we all at times are spiritually blind, and that blindness always has its beginnings in ourselves. Do we really want to “see”? we willing to shout over the din and the warnings of others to be quiet in order to see what God’s way is really about? And, when we do persist and hear the answer to our shouts, are we ready to daily follow Jesus?
Luther advises us to daily remember out baptism, to drown the old Adam so that each day a new man comes forth. Sometimes the cares, worries, and anger surrounding us mean that we have to shout above the din or our own making as those blind men did to see how that new man can walk (follow) in Jesus way.
