Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Sáu Tuàn thứ Nhất Mùa Vọng
Tiên Tri Isaiah đã cho mọi người một niềm hy vọng vì ông ta đã chỉ cho mọi người biết đến thời gian mà Thiên Chúa sẽ đến con ngưới rất gần kề, do vậy, chúng ta không thể không cảm nhận được sự hiện diện của Chúa. “Người điếc sẽ được nghe, và người mù sẽ được thấy, và những sự bất công sẽ không còn nửa và những kẻ không tin sẽ tin vào nơi Thiên Chúa. Những lời nhắn nhủ này cho biết là những điều tiêu cực không bao giờ đến từ nơi Thiên Chúa. Những sự Đau khổ trong cuộc đời này chỉ là tạm bợ, không phải là mãi mãi, và Thiên Chúa không phải là Thiên Chúa của sự đau khổ. Khi chúng ta quay đầu trở lại với Thiên Chúa, Ngài sẽ mở lòng trí chúng ta, chữa lành và sẽ biến đổi lòng và trí chúng ta.
Đức tin của hai người mù đã cho họ cái tầm nhìn bằng tâm hồn nên sâu sắc hơn, và Chúa Giêsu đã xác quyết rằng là "vì đức tin của họ." mà họ đã được chữa lành.
Thường chúng ta không thể biết hay để ý những gì đang diễn tiến và liên tục xảy ra trong cuộc hành trình trong đời của chúng ta và không phải lúc nào chúng ta cũng có thể nhìn thấy được con đường trải nhựa láng bóng trước mặt. Tuy nhiên, với một đức tin sâu sắc và biết chấp nhận, tuân hành sẽ kim chỉ nang hướng dẫn chúng ta đến với Thiên Chúa Và nó sẽ cho chúng ta có môt cái hiểu biết rõ hơn về con đường mà chúng ta cần phải đi tới.
Lạy Chúa, xin cho mở mắt chúng con trong tâm hồn để cho chúng con biết nhìn Chúa và con đường Chúa muốn con đi một cách rõ ràng và thông suốt hơn.
Isaiah gave people hope by pointing to a time in which God would come so close that we could not fail to sense God’s presence. The deaf would hear, and the blind would see, and injustice would vanish along with unbelief. The message is that these negative things do not come from God. Suffering is temporary, not forever, and God is not about suffering. When we turn to God and open our hearts, healing and transformation begin.
` The two blind men discovered this to their delight. Even though they were physically blind, they had spiritual insight, for they recognized Jesus as ‘son of David’, which is a messianic title. Others who had physical sight were not able to ‘see’ this. The faith of the two blind men gave them this deeper vision, and Jesus confirmed that by healing them ‘according to their faith.’ In other words, their healing would be in proportion to how deeply and fervently they trusted and believed in God.
Often we do not know what is coming next on our journey and we are not always able to see the road in front of us. But a deep and abiding faith will be our inner GPS — it will give us insight into the path that we must travel. Lord, grant me spiritual insight.
And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land. Matthew 9:30–31
Who is Jesus? This question is much more easily answered today than it was at the time Jesus walked the Earth. Today we are blessed with countless saints who have gone before us who have prayerfully and intelligently taught much about the person of Jesus. We know Him to be God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Savior of the World, the promised Messiah, the Sacrificial Lamb and so much more.
The Gospel above comes from the conclusion of the miracle in which Jesus healed two blind men. These men were overwhelmed with their cure, and their emotion overtook them. Jesus instructed them to “See that no one knows about this” miraculous healing. But their excitement could not be contained. It’s not that they were intentionally disobedient to Jesus; rather, they did not know how else to express their sincere gratitude other than to tell others about what Jesus had done.
One reason Jesus told them not to tell others about Him is because Jesus knew they did not fully understand Who He was. He knew that their testimony about Him would fail to present Him in the way that was most truthful. He was the Lamb of God. The Savior. The Messiah. The Sacrificial Lamb. He was the One Who came into this world to redeem us by the shedding of His blood. Many of the people, however, wanted a nationalistic “messiah” or a miracle worker alone. They wanted one who would save them from political oppression and make them a great earthly nation. But this was not Jesus’ mission.
Oftentimes we can also fall into the trap of misunderstanding Who Jesus is and Who He wants to be in our lives. We can want a “god” who will save us only from our daily struggles, injustices and temporal difficulties. We can want a “god” who acts in accord with our will and not vice versa. We want a “god” who will heal us and free us of every earthly burden. But Jesus taught clearly throughout His life that He would suffer and die. He taught us that we must take up our own crosses and follow Him. And He taught us that we are to die, embrace suffering, offer mercy, turn the other cheek, and find our glory in that which the world will never understand.
Reflect, today, upon whether Jesus would caution you about speaking too loudly about your vision of Who He is. Do you struggle with presenting a “god” who is not actually God? Or have you come to know the very Person of Christ our Lord to such an extent that you are able to give witness to Him Who died. Do you boast only in the Cross? Do you proclaim Christ crucified and preach only the deepest wisdom of humility, mercy and sacrifice? Recommit yourself to a true proclamation of Christ, setting aside any and all confused images of our saving God.
My true and saving Lord, I commit myself to You and pray that I will come to know and love You as You are. Give me the eyes I need to see You and the mind and heart I need to know and love You. Remove from me any false vision of Who You are and replace within me a true knowledge of You, my Lord. As I come to know You, I offer myself to You so that You may use me to proclaim Your greatness to all. Jesus, I trust in You.
Encountering Christ:
1. Why Does He Ask?: Why did Jesus ask the blind men whether they believed they can be healed? Jesus was looking for faith, a clinging to his person. The blind men made a personal appeal to the Son of David, the one capable of mercy, and Our Lord responded in kind: “Are you sure I’m the one who can help you?” They affirmed that he was truly the answer to their problems. When we arrive at that level of trust in and adherence to the Lord, miracles can happen.
2. Why Did He Touch?: Eyes are not for touching. We blink spontaneously when
anything or anyone comes near our eyes. That’s why we have eyelids. So why
would Jesus touch the eyes of the blind men when he didn’t need to? We can only
speculate. We know that the eyes are the most beautiful part of the human face.
And our own eyes are precisely what we never see. But to be blind—to see
neither our eyes nor the eyes of others is a great impoverishment, a darkening
of the world for us. Jesus chose to begin communicating with these men through
their heightened sense of touch. Only then, having touched them, did he open
their eyes to sight. Likewise, Jesus knows perfectly well how to reach each of
us, despite our flaws, and bring us out of darkness into his light—if only we
trust he can heal us.
3. Why Does He Warn Them?: God wills all men to be saved. Why then did Christ “warn
them sternly” to keep the matter quiet? The typical answer is that their
extravagant preaching might have inhibited Christ’s free movement among the
people. Crowds hankering after miracles could have disrupted his true mission.
But perhaps there’s another reason: Sometimes words are inadequate. Thomas à
Kempis, in Book I Chapter 20 of The Imitation of Christ speaks of the love of
solitude and silence. “Whoever is resolved to live an inward and spiritual life
must, with Jesus, withdraw from the crowds…” Perhaps Christ knew that silent
gratitude would best preserve their peace of soul.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I do not always understand your commands, but
I know that obedience to your will is always best. When I am blind about
something, I will ask you for sight, but above all I will ask you to look at me
so that I can be comforted by your love for me and become strong and faithful.
Resolution: Lord,
today by your grace I will thank you for all the things I see and understand,
and entrust to you all that I cannot yet see or understand.
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