Blind seeing

The God of Hope

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.  “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”  John 9:1-2

It is hard for us to even imagine the position of disabled people in Jesus’ day. Rather than compassion the general public often was indifferent. In place of encouragement, there was rejection. Religious people were no better, in fact even His disciples were asking Jesus if this blind man had sinned or if he was paying for his parents’ sin. But to this blind man for whom no one held any hope Jesus came with an entirely different message. Jesus’ words brought hope even before he brought healing.

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Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him  John 9:3

Do our words bring hope? Some people have lost all hope for themselves. Like this man they have had problems since the day they were born. They have no idea what life might be like without suffering. This blind man began to hope when Jesus stopped and did something for him. The fact that Jesus chose to heal in the strange way of making mud with spit, tells us that God’s hope shows up in the most unlikely ways! In Pakistan God’s hope looks like a sewing machine given to a widow. In Nepal God’s hope smells like chicken curry cooking for a hungry child. In Guatemala God’s hope feels like a free wheel-chair for a disabled child. In our neighborhood maybe hope is like an invitation to our dinner table. He is a God of all kinds of hope and He may choose you or me to be the mud he uses to help someone to see!

 

 

How Is Your Vision?

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

“Why don’t these glasses that I have had less than a year help me  read anymore?”  I complained to my optometrist at my annual eye exam.

“Have you noticed those spots on your eyes.?” she asked patiently as she held up a mirror.  There I could see dark patches on my  irises which once were clear blue. Then I realized that everyone else could see my problem except for me. Jesus said that before we can help anyone else we have to deal with our own weaknesses.

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You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5

Once  I accepted that I needed help,I went to Saint Luke’s Cataract and Vision Institute; where I discovered that  I needed surgery. As the result of a lifetime of overexposure to sun at work I had developed something called pterygiums.  In the same way that seeing too much, had dimmed my vision whatever we focus the eyes of our hearts on determines our ability to see spiritually. As we allow our eyes to become calloused by what we see in our world, we will see less and less of God’s face.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

After my surgery some nights have been painful and I needed to wear a protective eye patch for a while. Part of the process was getting eye drops every day. Because they stung I dreaded each time my wife reminded me that it was time for my drops; but I knew that these prevented infection and promoted healing. God restores our spiritual eyes in the same way with His healing balm. Though it may sting for a moment as our eyes fill tears of repentance; at the end we will be able to say, “I once was blind but now I see!”.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:18

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The Last Healing

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And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47 NKJV

As Jesus is begins His final journey towards Jerusalem, a blind man named Batimaeus hears the news and in desperation cries to Jesus for help. Breaking the decorum of his day he starts to shout as loudly as he can, trying to get Jesus’ attention, no matter what anyone else thinks.

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During His ministry Jesus had healed all kinds of people including the mother of the Apostle Peter’s wife, the servant of a government official and a woman who touched his robe in a crowd. As He neared the end of His time on earth He raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. But what was likely His last miraculous act of Jesus paused to heal a bind beggar named Bartimaeus.  The blind man had no special credentials or connections except Jesus was passing by.For all of us who also have no pedigree, political connections or friends in high places there is hope. The mercy of Jesus comes with only the requirement that, like Bartimaeus, we ask with all our heart.

Jesus is as willing to stop for a jailer as for a prisoner. He hears the prayer of the surgeon as well as the patient. He bends his ear as closely to hear orphans he does to the father of a nation. Our hope in Jesus Christ is based on one thing alone. He died for our sins and rose again. He is walking down our street and He is still inviting beggars to come to His side in His heavenly home!