What Is My Blindness?

The appointed Gospel reading for the daily prayer of the Church today is taken from the 8^th chapter of the Gospel according to John where we hear Jesus say:

          “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. (Jn. 8: 12-20).

There is no blindness like the blindness of someone who does not want to see.  For whatever reason, the Pharisees did not want to see who Jesus is.  Perhaps they wanted to keep their hold on power, or maybe they were too enamored by their man made rules appended onto the Ten Commandments.  Just maybe, they were too afraid to change or to rock the boat fearful of what the Roman authorities might do.  I’m sure they each had the motives and reasons. 

What about us?  Are we sometimes blind to what Jesus is saying to us?  Do we, like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, refuse to see whatever our reason might be?  In the end, Jesus’ way is the way of truth and light.  There is no darkness in him at all.

Let us pray:  Gracious God and Father, send your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the light of your Son, Jesus Christ.  Give us grace to move beyond those things which hold us from walking in the way of light.  Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

This evening at 6 pm the Lenten Series continues at Trinity Episcopal Church with Kathy Culmer.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, and especially all those who are traveling.

Your servant in Christ,

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550