Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

No walk/jog again. We had lengthy discussion, plus a lengthy phone call, and it just got bumped off the list. Now Becki needs to run off to a 10am appointment, and I had better get on with the big list. Having said that, I’m refraining from glancing at it right now before I send this for fear of some emotional trauma. I do remember that a guy is coming to pick up a sign…and that I will probably be engaging the boom truck on a sign install later this afternoon.

I failed to mention that we don’t have to worry any more about raccoons killing chickens—we don’t have any more chickens. A family came and paid for them and picked them up Tuesday evening.

May your day go well and be blessed.

Love, Dad/Ray.

The irony I SEE in this reading is that these two blind men had BLIND eyes with SEEING hearts, while the disciples had SEEING eyes with BLIND hearts—at least they didn’t SEE what Jesus meant, even though He told them clearly. Why? I guess it’s because so many of His teachings and predictions simply did not fit into their preconceived narrative of how they thought things were supposed to be. While they did have a pretty good idea that Jesus was the promised Messiah, they were BLIND to what Jesus had just SHOWN them only a few verses back. Let’s review what He said: “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19) I would like to think that Jesus added the equivalent of, “Are there any questions?” Silence.

Their poor vision even contributed to some selfish ambitions over who was going to be FIRST to get top positions in His soon-to-be-established kingdom. The mother of James and John even got into the jostling for first-ness—requesting that her two wonderful boys be given thrones on either side of Jesus’ throne (See 9:28). To that Jesus responded, “You don’t know what you are asking” (v. 22). In other words, “You guys are as BLIND as bats!” Then He asked a penetrating question—“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”—which can only refer to His announcement of impending suffering and death. In self-confident arrogance, like when a guy says “I do” at his wedding, being BLIND to the signs and symptoms he’s been given—without really SEEING what he is getting himself into—about to be strapped to a “constant dripping” (Proverbs 27:15-16), they replied, “We can.” In so many words they were saying, “O Jesus, you don’t know what a great drinker I am! Man—I’m a professional! In fact I can drink most anyone under the table!”

I can’t be sure exactly how clearly the two blind guys SAW Jesus. But they SAW Him well enough to believe He was the Messiah (“Lord, Son of David”…vv. 30-31), as well as their only hope, an opportunity they did not want to pass up—even at the price of public rebuke. You know the story. Their belief and persistence were richly rewarded. “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him” (v. 34).

Don’t you agree that, left to ourselves, we are all rather BLIND as bats—BLIND to spiritual truths and realities? Whereas we are bound by so many human limitations, how could it be otherwise? Don’t you agree that it is a good and wise pursuit to present our BLIND condition to the All-Seeing One? Don’t you agree that it is appropriate to say a heart-level “AMEN” to Paul’s prayer for us in Ephesians 1? “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).