Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 6; the Holy Great-Martyr Procopius (303)
Read
Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
A friend of mine has a book entitled Things God Didn’t Know. In it are recorded things that God asks, such as: where Adam and Eve are in the garden after they eat the fruit; if they had eaten the fruit they were told not to, etc. It’s a funny “tongue-in-cheek” way of pointing out the importance of an All-Knowing God stopping to ask a question to which He already knows that answer. Why does He ask these questions in the first place?
I wonder if Christ’s question to these two blind men regarding their faith is listed in that book. Two blind men, doing their best to follow after Christ despite not being able to see Him are contrasted with many who see and hear and reject His message. When Christ finally moves out of public and the blind men stop shouting for mercy from the “Son of David” (a very controversial term in Roman-occupied Judea!) He asks them if they have faith that He can do what heal them. He obviously knows they do. Yet He still asks.
Brothers and sisters, there is power and purpose in putting what we wish, desire, or think into words. By a Word, God created the heavens and the Earth. By a word, He casts out demons and heals. Although He knows their faith, there is healing in them stating that they trust Him. Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t respect the “institution” of marriage and that they should not need to “say” that they will remain faithful and love their spouse to the end, but that their love is self-evident and marriage is superfluous? Or how about claiming that “God already knows my sins and that I’m sorry,” so there is no reason to bring them up in confession to a priest? In both these situations, God offers us His grace and blessing and we reject His invitation because we are not willing to rise to the occasion and commit. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him and three times he responded that he did! How do we respond, with our ideas or with our lips? Does our faith consist of day-dreams or of action?
These two blind men pursued our Lord despite their inability to see Him. When questioned on their faith they responded with courage. Can we do any less, we who have received His Body and Blood and have witnessed His Resurrection?