Thoughts for the Day

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Jericho as a settlement or town has existed for at least 9,000 years, making it one of the oldest places of human settlement once people stopped living as hunter-gatherers. It was the place where Joshua was to defeat the inhabitants after crossing the Jordan river to enter Canaan. It was also where Herod the Great was to establish a winter residence. The normal way from Galilee to Jerusalem lay further west through Samaria, but many Jews would not want to travel there because of their hatred of its people would have dared to build a second Temple, and who because of past Assyrian incursions were mixed-race Hebrews. However, there was a perfectly good road that came further east from Bethabara to Bethany, then to Jericho and finally Jerusalem.

The Gospels are are full of images of light and dark (often meaning good and evil), and so we have the story now of a blind man who cannot see the light. He is a beggar and poor, but if he cannot see he can hear. When the noise around him indicates something unusual, he asks what's happening, and as Jesus draws near he shouts to him. He calls him 'Son of David' the term for the Messiah, and he keeps on shouting, asking for mercy. In the original the phrase 'he shouted even more' means that he absolutely screamed for attention. The blind man seeks pardon from sin and pity for his situation, but it takes a question from Jesus to elicit that he wants to see again.

When we pray to Jesus let us also also ask for mercy, be fervent in our prayer, and know exactly for what we are asking. The prayer of faithful will not be in vain. Then shall we follow our Lord ever closer, and praise and glorify God.

Lord Jesus Christ,
when we feel like giving up on prayer;
when we think we've got better things to do;
when it seems as though You do not hear us;
when it seems as if we are only speaking
to ourselves;
give us the faith and the strength to continue
asking for Your mercy and Your help.
Then may we praise and glorify You once more.
Amen.