In the Gospel reading for today from Mark, we experience a message from Jesus about “seeing.”
The disciples are in a boat and forget to take enough bread with them—they only have one loaf. So a discussion ensues among them about what they do not have. Jesus reminds them rather sternly about the two occasions when they fed the five thousand and the four thousand, and the fact that they had twelve baskets left over. He questions them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?”
Is it coincidental that this event is followed by friends who bring a blind man to Jesus, entreating Jesus to touch him? Jesus spits on the blind man’s eyes, lays his hands upon him, and asks him, “Do you see anything?” The man replies, “I see men…like trees, walking.” Jesus lays his hands upon the man’s eyes a second time…the man looks intently…and begins to see everything clearly.
It appears that instead of seeing what we don’t have, it would behoove us to look at the abundance we do have. It also appears that we need to look intently at God’s faithfulness to us in the past in order to see and believe. And be not dismayed because God, understanding our frail human nature, will grant us a second touch in order to see clearly. God is a God of second chances.
The readings for Wednesday in Lent IV are Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; Gen. 50:15-26; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Mark 8:11-26 and can be found at satucket.com/lectionary/2lent4.htm.
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