Friday, December 5, 2014



Friday of the First Week of Advent

(Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31)

In explaining why random evolution cannot account for the complexity of human life, intelligent design advocates often point to the eye.  They say that such an intricate organ is not likely to come about by chance, no matter if it had a zillion years to develop.  The eye’s sight is not only wonderful, it is of course imminently useful.  For this reason the blind men in today’s gospel ask Jesus for mercy.

The two men lack physical sight, but they possess something more valuable -- faith which is a deeper way of seeing.  The men may have heard that Jesus is of David’s lineage.  But this is nothing especially original.  More significantly, they believe that he is the son of David who will restore the glory of Israel.  As Isaiah foretold, he is the one who will open the ears of the deaf, the eyes of the blind, and the cells of prisoners.  Jesus rewards their faith with a better kind of twenty-twenty vision.  They can now see as well with their eyes as they have all along with their souls.

This Advent those of us who see well enough with our eyes might ask Jesus for the enhanced vision which faith gives.  We want to see him as the one to save us from all that threatens us.  Also, we need faith to never lose sight of everyone's dignity, no matter the person's disability or condition.