Advent Advent III.v

Tomorrow is the first day of Actual Advent. This has been good practice, easing into the rhythm and discipline of it all. Good to get myself ready before trying to add my smalls into it. Telling the Jesus story to them is so tricky and my beloved and I have to work hard to tone down our grown-up jaded cynicism to allow for the loud, shouty embarassment that is a child's faith.  We haven't done as much as I'd have liked to grow them up in faith, so the least I can do is the Jesus story part. It's my favourite part in the end, so surely it's possible.

Today is short and sweet. Two blind men are sitting by the side of the road when they hear that Jesus is going by. They can't see him, but they just start shouting "JESUS! HAVE MERCY ON US!" They can't really know how close or far he is, but they just keep yelling, "JESUS! HAVE MERCY ON US!" The people around them tell them to shut up - it's kind of embarssing right? to have two people so desperate and yelling at the Lord when there should just be polite, quiet appreciation? Maybe some golf clapping? But these two blind yahoos just keep yelling.

Jesus hears them.

And stops.

And says, "Wait. What do you two want for me to do?"

And they answer, "We want our sight."

So Jesus has compassion on them and touches their eyes and gives them sight.

The end.

I don't fully get why people wanted them to stop yelling. I made it up, the polite clap part. And I don't get why Jesus stopped. And I don't even get why it made the Matthew story. There's no explanation or summation from Jesus about anything. It just happens.

But maybe I'll practice this over Advent: "JESUS! HAVE MERCY ON US!" And if Jesus stops to ask me what we want, probably I'll say, "We want our faith."

I'll let you know how it goes.

Matthew 20:29-34

New International Version (NIV)

Two Blind Men Receive Sight

²⁹ As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
³¹ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
³² Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
³³ “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
³⁴ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.