To “be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (Jas
1:19) means having both humility and respect for others. It means taking the
necessary time to listen to people. I got
a news update this morning regarding the President’s approval rating. Apparently, it is at an all-time low among Democrats
(4%) and an all-time high among Republicans (88%). It seems we are further apart than ever and
it is rooted in our inability to listen. The challenge for many of us is that we
listen just enough to formulate our opinion or a solution that we believe will
quickly fix the others issue(s).
James does not tell us to listen to others before speaking
simply because it is polite to do so. The
hearing that James commands is a purposeful hearing that is designed to result
in a wise response that is free from haste and anger. A wise response is one which is thoughtful
and loving driven by biblical values.
The result of a quick and angry response is almost always sin.
Mark’s account of the “two-step” healing of the blind man gives
us a clue to who God is and how he works with us.
God is compassionate.
Jesus “took the blind man by the hand and led him” (Mk 8:23) away from
the people pressing him for a healing.
There is an intimacy in this action, to address the man’s needs in
private. This closeness allowed Jesus to
engage him with touch, question, and listen. The man has been isolated by his blindness; it
must have been refreshing to experience this connection with Jesus.
God is persistent. Until
now, Mark has clearly stated that Jesus can perform many “mighty works,”
indicating that he is a prophet with the power of God validating his mission. He consistently links miracles with the
demand for faith. Jesus was looking to
heal more than the man’s physical sight; he was concerned for the man’s
spiritual blindness. The man felt safe
enough to share truthfully about the limits of his restored sight. He could have simply thanked Jesus for the
little bit of sight and left. Jesus’
compassion led him to touch him a second time, to send him home fully restored.
God is patient. Many
scholars believe that this “two-step” healing points to Jesus’ patient teaching
and work to help his disciples see clearly.
Despite seeing all of Jesus’ mighty works the disciples are challenged
to understand Jesus’ identity and relationship with the His Father.[1]
This is how our Heavenly Father is with us responding to our
human weaknesses; with compassion, persistence & patience. Jesus who compassionately drew the blind man
aside, seeks to draw us close to himself.
He persistently seeks to touch us to fully heal our physical and
spiritual blindness. Jesus patiently
helps us to believe and trust the Heavenly Father, until we see Him
face-to-face.
[1] The
Word Among Us © 2019.
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