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.
