May 3rd, 20

MAY 3,  HE SEES US AND STOPS FOR US

Our readings today are II Samuel 7, I Chronicles 17,  Psalm 2, and Matthew 20. We are reading from the New Living Translation.

Jericho is known as the lowest city on the earth.  It’s also known in the Bible, as a city where blind people receive their sight.  In the New Testament we see Blind Bartamaeus, as well as two unnamed people, calling out to Jesus, to receive sight.  Jericho becomes a kind of metaphor for us, when we can’t see, when we are at our lowest. We can be experiencing our own private Jericho.  When that happens, we need to do what these two blind people did. We need to cry out to God. Son of David, have mercy on me!  When we can’t see and we are at our lowest, it’s time to tell God what we want.  We want mercy. We want to see.  We want to find a way out of this low point.  

This story reminds us that Jesus stops to do those very things.  He stops and he calls us, and he asks us the question, What do you want?  When we understand that God truly sees us, our understanding comes into focus.  We come to see that God sees us, when we are at our lowest and blindest. He sees us and stops for us. We realize that we are loved. Our answer to his question is,  I want to see.  I want to understand.  He stops every day for the lowest and the least and he makes them his own.  

In our Old Testament reading today, the story of David’s desire to build God a temple,  is repeated. The Holy Spirit uses repetition to remind us of what is true, both in the Old and the New Testament. David wants to build God a house, but God says, I will build my house, and I will build it with my Son.  And through Him all the blind and the least and the lowest, will be blessed. That would be you and me.

When we’re going through pain, struggle and uncertainty, we often want to build something for God, and reassert ourselves before God. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but God doesn’t need us to build him anything.  Instead he is offering to build us, and establish our lives and futures, in Him.  That’s what He did for David. That’s what he did for these two blind men in Jericho. That’s what he wants to do for you and me, even when we are at our blindest and lowest.  That’s the Gospel. That’s worth repeating to ourselves, not once, not twice, but every day.

You open my eyes. You meet me at my lowest. You love people like me, who are the least.

Let your soul recollect this amazing truth. Remember, and repeat it. Live in the house that God has built. Remember that each day, as you hear the Gospel. God opens the eyes of the blind and he lifts up those who are lowest.

You are loved!