God knows every hope, every sorrow, every thought we have, even without our giving voice to them. So why did Jesus ask the blind man what he wanted? Of course he wanted to see! What else could he possibly have wanted?
But not everyone is willing to take that kind of risk. After all, when Jesus asked the sick man at Bethesda if he wanted to be well, the response was a litany of complaints. Even though Jesus healed him anyway, you have to think the response of the blind man in today’s gospel was more pleasing to him: direct, respectful and faith-filled. He believed a miracle was possible.
The answer we receive may or may not be affected by the way we ask, but it’s worth contemplating: When you pray, who are you? The Bethesda complainer or the believing blind man?
Look at all the good things the Church in Ephesus have done in Revelation 2:2-3, "I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for My Name, and you have not grown weary." Here is the 'but' in Revelation 2:4-5a, "Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen." Ouch! That pours cold water on me as I do all these things for church and God? What is the most important thing and first thing Tim says everyday? Yes, "Put God first!" That's right, without loving God first, all these good works are just filthy rags :-(Isaiah 64:6a; Romans 3:10) So what do I do? Revelation 2:5b,c, "Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." So I repent (turn around) and see as the blind man did in Luke 18:43, "He immediately received his sight and followed Him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God." Glory to You, Lord Jesus, in the highest and peace to Your people on earth! Amen :-)
I truly believe heart felt complaints (voices of pain, hurt and hopelessness) are very human and my God loves them as He did with His Son, His people in Scripture and especially the Psalmists :-) Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, "Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When I read the Psalms, most of them are full of complaints and gradually they remember who God is and they end with praises and thanksgiving not because they received reliefs but they trusted in the One true God who is faithful, loving and merciful among lots of His attributes :-) https://www.gotquestions.org/forsaken-me.html When I am in distressed, I go thorugh the ABC of God's attributes to bring my focus back to the One Who holds it all :-) https://christskingdom.org/articles/still-say-abcs-abcs-gods-character/ https://roadmapsforworship.com/cultural-questions/tips/alphabetical-attributes/ Every passage we read in Scripture provides a picture of Who God is! As you read and meditate, ask the Holy Spirit to give you His attribute or His Name for the passage! You will be blessed :-)
Good Morning to all, your messages and comments are faith filled, thank you for sharing these with us, so that we may walk closer with Jesus. Dear Jesus, you knew what your day was going to be filled with, but you woke early and went to pray to your Heavenly Father. May we follow your example, and pray to you and your Heavenly Father, so that we may we gain our confidence and strength to grow in our faith and walk closer to you each day. Dear Jesus hear our prayer of forgivenesses for we have sinned, let us not look back but forward towards the work you have asked of us this day. May our desire be to walk towards those who need our help. May we bring light to a dark part of this world today. Amen
Looking back I realise that every time I asked I was answered. But I often didn't listen to the answer because I was too busy with what I thought were more important things but more correctly I was distracted by superfluities. I got answers I didn't want, I would think this is not the answer I was looking for so I would rationalise my rejection of it. Was God not listening to me? I told him what I wanted, so in reality I hadn't asked a question I had set a task, God find a way to bring about the solution I want to the problem I have. God wasn't good at following my instructions, lucky for me. God doesn't respond to manipulative wording or plain old bullying. There is no point is asking God for help or guidance while setting the terms of reference for the solution, it doesn't work that way I ask now in more general terms and leave the unfolding of the solution to God. I ask in faith and trust and I wait on the Lord in patience and when the response becomes clear to me I let his will be done. If I am asked to play a part in his will do my bit, I comply. Thank you Melanie
Amen. Thank you Holy Father for this beautiful day and for today's Gospel. Thank you Lord for my faith, my life and for my family. Thank you Holy Father, most of all, for your great sacrifice and for the opportunity of forgiveness and reconciliation. Please Lord have mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of Endless Glory. Amen
Hi there! Just wanted to say thanks for the kind words... and it is soo hard to hear the answer sometimes, isn't it? Peace, Melanie
Great questions, Ken :-) My answer is Jesus.......to follow Jesus! He has done everything necessary to prepare heaven for me and those who believe in Him :-) Amen!!! I have decided to follow Jesus......https://youtu.be/S8jvfdDtoqY
Patrick I totally agree. I remember" Speak Lord your servant is listening"I know we need to be quiet in body and mind to listen. I would like to share this reading with the Living Faith family "The beatitude of the saints is immutable, like that of the Son of God. . . Add ages to ages; multiply them equal to the sand of the ocean or the stars of heaven; exhaust all numbers, if you can, beyond what the human intelligence can conceive, and for the elect there will be still the same eternity of happiness. They are immutable, and this immutability excludes weariness and disgust. The life of an elect soul is one succession, without end, of desires ever arising and ever satisfied, but desires without trouble, satiety or lassitude. The elect will always see God, love God, possess God and always will wish to see Him, love Him and possess Him still more. This beatitude is the end destined for all; God has given us time only in order to merit it, being and life only to possess it. Reflect seriously on this great truth, and ask yourself these three questions at the foot of the crucifix: What have I done hitherto for heaven? What ought I to do for heaven? What shall I do henceforward for heaven?" — St. Ignatius of Loyola, p. 179 Ken
Very thought provoking devotion, Melanie. I am definitely both. I find myself complaining and then I pray for forgiveness and asking for the grace to be more direct and faith filled. A blessed week and continued prayers to all. Sandy
Thanks Melanie for today's devotion. By focusing our eyes on Jesus, we will find faith like the blind man to see clearly that God is with us and he will restore our lives just as he restored the eyesight of the blind man. Praising God for what he has done for us will help us to remember his love for us and recover our love for him. Let us not just focus on our failures and our inadequacies. Just focusing on our weaknesses and problems only weakens us. We need to focus on our strength and the blessings he has given to us. We must give praise to God for the little things we have done and have brought fruits for our people. Lord God, help your people and give them strength to wait expectantly for what is good, to live and serve in this expectation. Grant your help to all who strive for this. We can all tell of the help that comes from you, for you always support us with your power, also in hard times. Amen. Have a great day everyone.
Sometimes I'm a Bethesda, but Lord, make me more like the blind man. Strengthen my faith to ask direct and respectfully, for my needs. Amen
Beautifully stated, I will do my part to trust in Jesus and our holy Father. I will do my best to stop my negativity when I do not see my prayers answered. All Living Faith family comments are an asset to me.
Thank you again Ken for your continued prayers for all of us!
Sandy Wendy Sham/PeterNarine great comments I too are like both of them. Lord make pray for the people who need my prayers. Going to Mass we are still open. When I am there I will pray for the living faith family Ken
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