Spiritual vitamin A

So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
‘Sir,’ he answered, ‘I want to see again.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Then see! Your faith has made you well.’
At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.
(verses 40-43)

Read Luke 18:31-43

One of the many brochures that come to me in the mail was from Christian Blind Mission International. In it was the story of Rahina, a child in Nigeria who was at risk of becoming blind because of malnutrition. This line caught my attention: ‘For the cost of distributing three vitamin A capsules per year—60 cents—and the cost of maintaining a community care worker—

$50—Rahina and many others like her are being spared the heartache of preventable blindness.’

This statement reminded me of today’s story, where we see the hopelessness and helplessness of the blind. Imagine the plight of that poor beggar, sitting by the roadside without hope until he heard Jesus come along. He cried out for Jesus to have mercy. They tried to hush him up, but he wouldn’t be silenced. Here was his one chance of a real life. He yelled even louder. Jesus stopped. The man had to state his needs, and Jesus healed him. Jesus praised his faith and persistence.

Many of us, as we walk around, fail to see the gifts that God has given us. We fail to see those less fortunate than ourselves. We are blind to our faults and sins. Like Rahina, we lack vitamin A—spiritual vitamin A. Such a small dose, at such little expense! We need to cry out, as the blind beggar did, ‘Jesus! Son of David! Have pity on me.’ As we state our needs, Jesus will restore our vision so that we can see what he intends us to be.

Jesus! Son of David! Have pity on me. I want to see. Amen.

by Merna Thamm, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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