Sacred Scripture
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 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 9:27-31)
Reflection
The lights of Christmas have begun to light our surroundings. The miracle of Christmas floods our minds. The promise and hope of Christmas begins to warm our hearts.
Humanity is represented here in the two blind men. Their blindness indicates the sin and darkness that enveloped the world after the fall of man. A darkness that continued through the millennia.
We pray for darkness to depart from us so that we may see. We can overcome that darkness by recognizing it and then allowing Christ to be our light as we attempt to banish this darkness for his glory.
Perhaps we have been hurt. Someone has treated us poorly or betrayed us, and we cannot bring ourselves to forgive that person. We know that holding on to that hurt will lessen our lives. Yet we do not let it go. We choose anger and hurt over freedom.
Perhaps we are in an unhealthy relationship. We want to be someone’s friend. We want to love someone. But the person who we are trying to love does not respect us, ignores us, perhaps even abuses us. We know that we should change the relationship, perhaps even leave that relationship. Yet we are afraid, and so we remain in an unhealthy relationship even though that relationship has no freedom and no future.
Perhaps we are jealous of others. We compare ourselves to what others have. We want to be what others are. By making these comparisons, we become unhappy because we cannot have what others have. Yet we continue to compare ourselves to others. We will not let go of our jealousy. We choose the darkness rather than the light.
If we are unable to forgive, the truth on which we should focus is our own imperfection. Have others hurt us? Yes. Was that wrong? Certainly. But, we ourselves are not perfect. We ourselves have hurt others, and we ourselves must depend upon their forgiveness and God’s forgiveness.
When we can claim the truth of our own imperfection and our dependence upon the forgiveness of others, it can free us to forgive and to leave the darkness behind.
When we find ourselves caught in an unhealthy relationship, the truth that we need to focus on is our own value. We might not be the most attractive or talented people, but we are people of worth. We are children of God. No child of God deserves to live in a relationship in which he or she is not valued. When we claim our own worth in God’s eyes, we find the courage to change the relationships that are unhealthy and to leave the relationships that are destructive.
When we are jealous of others, the truth on which that we must focus is the truth of being blessed. We might not have what others have, we might not be what others are, but we do have talents, relationships, and real gifts. It is by being thankful for those gifts that we can find joy in the real life that God has given us.
When we accept the truth of our own imperfection, we can forgive. When we accept the truth of our own value, we can leave destructive relationships behind. When we accept the truth of how blessed we are, we can come to find joy in our lives. Now of course, it is not always easy to face the truth and enter the light. But is well worth the effort. If we do not choose to enter the light, our only other option is to remain in the darkness.
Prayer of The Day
“Christ, be my light. Open my eyes to see you when I am blind and open my ears to hear your word when I am deaf to the truth. Help me to hear and see clearly by walking in your light. Guide me out of darkness and into the light. “
Daily Note
Many people are plagued with darkness in their hearts as we weather the pandemic and political and economic turmoil. For some, the holiday season alone raises anxieties surrounding family and relationships. Anger and unforgiveness can cloud our vision, making us spiritually blind. Whatever it is, we courageously hold it up to the Christ-light. With great confidence, we approach Christ and allow him to enter into that darkness, and he will overcome it (John 1:5). Maybe not in an instant, but with his gentle warmth and love, it will be overcome. Let’s ask Jesus to gently guide us away from the encroaching darkness into the way he has prepared for us: “Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
