I fear that many in the Church, especially it seems those called upon to preach and/or lead services, fail to preach about Jesus; His love and sacrifice; His reconciling us to the godhead; His enabling and life-giving words and works; and the enabling and indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Know Him, love Him, follow Him, and He will set you free for you sins, from the things that separate us from God and those around us and yet so many of us ignore this to talk about rights, oppression, politics and, using words of power as we occupy our places of privilege, the poor – we place a cordon around Jesus and restrict the access to the very people who need to be in His presence!
We place stumbling blocks before those who are ‘far off’ and smile benignly (a word often associated with unwanted growths!) as we, the Church, place that red rope around Jesus in the hope that He won’t be distracted by those who aren’t us. Now I know Jesus was only human like us and so got tired and needed protection (remember when they get His family to step in with the result that it’s said He’d gone a but mad?) but nothing separates us from the love of God now or when that love was made man and walked upon the earth.
To silence those burying out to God is to oppress them and oppose God. Our job is to make the voices of the blind, the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised, the stranger in our midst, heard and acknowledged and blessed and healed. And in our story today the voice of a blind man was heard, and Jesus calling for him asks him what he wants Him to do for him!!!
Now I don’t know about you but if I was there I’d have probably sighed a little and said to anyone who could hear, “What does He think he wants Him to do?”
But here is a lesson for me – a lesson I need to hear so very often – the obvious need is not always the most pressing need. What you see isn’t necessarily the problem that demands our attention so before you dive in and seek to be part of the solution, ask what the need is!
Today the obvious need (blindness) was thing that stood in the way of this man’s well being and yet, even so, Jesus asked. That’s a top tip from Jesus to take away.
And as I struggle with all those frustrating priests and priestesses who minister at the altar of their own passions, prejudices, campaigns and posturing I am drawn to the words from our Hebrews passage regarding a priest – our High Priest – who ministers eternally and without bias. A priest who is always ready to hear and to intercede (which means to act and to pray) for us before the Godhead.
“A High priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” A high priest who offered, once and for all, a sacrifice for our sins once and for for all when he offered himself. How good it is to realise that we can look away from those who stand between us and Jesus and instead look into His eyes and be made whole.
That has to be worth a ‘Hallelujah’ I reckon!
And we all look to that joyful homecoming when the blind, the lame, the pregnant and all the people will be redeemed and mourning will be turned into gladness and sorrow into joy.
Even so, come Lord Jesus and redeem Your people. O Lord, make it soon.
The Collect
Merciful God, teach us to be faithful in change and uncertainty, that trusting in your word and obeying your will we may enter the unfailing joy of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah 31:7-14
This is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’
See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
For the Lord will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.
Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the Lord.
Hebrews 7:23-28
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Mark 10:46-52
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Post Communion Prayer
God of all grace, your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your true and living bread; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
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