The Journey Towards Universal Vision

Gospel Reflection for November 18, 2024

“Now it came to pass as he drew near to Jericho, that a certain blind man was sitting by the wayside, begging; but hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this might be. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And they who went in front angrily tried to silence him. But he cried out all the louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Then Jesus stopped and commanded that he should be brought to him. And when he drew near, he asked him, saying, ‘What woulds’t thou have me do for thee?’ And he said, ‘Lord, that I may see.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee.’ And at once he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people upon seeing it gave praise to God.” (Lk 18: 35-43 CB)

It is always interesting when we notice how recurring themes are weaved in and out of the different Gospel passages. And of course, we are to remember that in all four Gospels there is the ultimate theme of the uniqueness of Christ and his message by which true salvation is found. Luke focuses on certain themes that accentuate the mystery of Christ in his own synoptic style. There are some particular themes he uses in this gospel passage about The Blind Man at Jericho, such as: Universal salvation, mercy for the marginalized, and leading a Christian life.

Understanding that the universal Church was expanding beyond just that of Palestine into the larger and more expansive domain of the Roman empire, Luke was very aware of the need to appeal to a wider audience as the Church was vastly becoming more gentile. After all, this was God’s intention that the world can know Him through His son Jesus Christ, regardless of whether someone was Jew or gentile, rich or poor. This obviously didn’t bode well for many Jews still firmly entrenched in their own historical and cultural understanding, but Luke held firm on the importance of the need for beatitude in living a Christian life. Notice how we have an un-named blind man in this Gospel in contrast to Mark’s gospel (MK 10:46) where “Bartimeus” was named as the blind man. It seems that Luke’s inspiration focused beyond mere Jewish particulars into a more universal appeal. For consideration is how the crying out of the blind man moves from “Jesus, Son of David,” to “Lord,” whereas in Mark’s gospel, Bartimeus’ pleading ends in acknowledging Jesus as “Rabonni,” which is distinctively Jewish.

In this Gospel passage, there is a subtle (or not so subtle) admonishment to those that put the less fortunate behind them. “And they who went in front angrily tried to silence him.” (Lk 18:39) Here we have an example of our compassionate Lord hearing cries of the marginalized in society as seen in earlier passages of Luke’s Gospel pointing out how women, children and the poor were treated in those times. Certainly, our Lord heard the cries of the blind man the first time, but this was also a message to all of us to pray without ceasing, and to cultivate a strong faith-life. The paradox in this passage was how the blind man had a clarity of sight that those with sight could not yet see. He saw through the eyes of faith, and this was a lesson for them and for all to cultivate Christ’s beatitudes within one’s Christian life.

The time was getting near as this was the final stage of Christ’s journey before he would arrive in Jerusalem. Perhaps we all are to remember that we are not “more special” or “more loved” by God because of our good fortune, or status. Judgement was coming soon as Christ neared his sacrificial destination after which he would take his rightful seat at the right hand of the Father. In the end we will all be judged, and this passage is a reminder that we all have a cross. Thus, how we acknowledge and help others along the way is a salvific teaching of love from our most gracious and loving Christ. Christ’s message is for everyone to hear, and through His Word let us open our hearts to better see through the eyes of faith! Amen.

*Artwork: “The Blind of Jericho,” (Lk 18:35-43) by Nicholas Poussin (circa 19th Century). Found on blogspot.com.