When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Lord, help me to see

 

There is much symbolism connected with sight, and the encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) has so much to teach us. To state the obvious, Bartimaeus can’t help but know he’s physically blind.  But he has faith enough to see that Jesus can help him.  And what he is yearning for is to see.

When it comes to the commandment to love God and to love our neighbor, are we humble enough to recognize that we may be blind with respect to other persons or groups of people, or even to the rest of creation?  When I get in my car, I have enough sense and humility to know that I can have blind spots when I’m driving.  The car has a rearview mirror, and side mirrors, and in some of the newer cars, a system that has a light that blinks when there’s another vehicle coming up on one side of me or the other.  I also have the sense to follow the training I received in Driver’s Ed and look to the side and a little behind when I want to change lanes. But can I have enough humility to recognize that I may have a blind spot when it comes to certain people or groups of people?  And am I willing to ask God to let me see?

When we have trouble seeing others as God sees them: as those beloveds of God, there is blindness there.  It can be comfortable to stay in our blindness.  We may be more apt to jump to conclusions than to be like Bartimaeus and jump up to be healed of our blindness.

Does this mean we should turn a blind eye, so to speak, to evil and injustice?  No, we have an obligation to speak up for what is right and just.  We are to work for justice and peace and the common good as our way of helping build up the kingdom and following the commandment to love.  But does that have to involve being blind to the humanity of the “other?”  Does it mean we try to take God’s place in condemning others?  I think not.

Bartimaeus reminds us to ask for God’s grace to see clearly; to see others and all of creation as we are meant to see them.

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