Psalms 140, 142 * 141, 143; 2 Kings 23:36-24:17; 1 Cor 12:12-26; Matthew 9:27-34Yesterday Jesus was approached by "a leader of the synagogue" who pled on bended knee that a beloved daughter, believed to be dead, could be made otherwise by Jesus. Today, Jesus heals two blind individuals and a mute, and Matthew tells us the Pharisees say Jesus can cast out demons because he worships demons.
When we don't want to believe something we can be blind to alternatives, we can be deaf to hearing any other options. We can make wild statements about the motivations of the person(s) advocating for something we refuse to consider. We can also become blind to things when we simply become "used to" them: we just don't see them anymore to recognize that a change is necessary to create new life.
Perhaps these healing stories we have in Matthew today are metaphors for those things in our life that we have allowed ourselves to become blind to, about which we cannot speak because we do not even see them anymore. Perhaps the accusation of the Pharisees is an example of how we can be knee-jerk-reactionary when someone suggests, or points to something we have grown accustomed to and says: "Hey, have you ever thought of fixing that?" To what do we need to open our eyes and see as someone new sees? To what do we need to listen that may allow us to live a more engaged life?
jfd+
Copyright 2011, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Water Garden, SW DC, 2010, jfd+
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