Healing Our Sight

They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’ Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Mark 8:22-33

Jesus draws a blind man away from the crowd to heal his eyesight, which happens in stages. Healing is rarely an instantaneous event. Rather, healing calls for us to admit our need and be willing to be touched and treated by others. And healing our sight and our insight takes many steps and reiterations. In our Gospel story we find that Peter claims Jesus as the Messiah and in a short time later, is called Satan by Jesus. Like Peter, it takes us humans many iterations and much practice to open our hearts, minds and eyes to the healing in front of us. Peter's fear kept him from hearing the truth and made him rebuke the Savior of the world. We all have these times in our lives when our being can't or won't take in love and healing. May this be the season when we set aside fear, and all human defenses and open our eyes and hearts to Divine healing and love.

Loving Creator, source of all healing

we are surrounded by your love and care

planted in communities of faith and hope

secure in your love for all of creation.

Inn our dark times, we can rebuke love

we turn away from truth and escape to fantasy

we pretend we are smart enough to mend ourselves

and forget that we are part of a larger holy family.

Help us to humble ourselves today and ask

for the healing, help and insight we need

realizing we are fragile, fearful and anxious

and you are the source of healing, strength and faith. Amen.