Reflecting and praying over today’s readings were very inspiring for me personally, hopefully they will be for you too. We have an opportunity to look at the people in both the old and New Testament and see how they relate to God, and decide for ourselves how we are going to act.
In our 1st reading, God is telling the Prophet Isaiah to encourage His people to not fear, to trust that God will come to them. To trust that God hears their prayers, hears the longing in their hearts. And to not worry because when God does come, the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf cleared, the tongue of the mute will sing. Some were encouraged by Isaiah’s prophecy, and many believed the prophecy and were longing for that day in which these words would be fulfilled. They were waiting for the Messiah to come to heal those in need and to make all their problems go away.
Then we hear in our Gospel story, most likely which was written with the prophecy from Isaiah in mind. The people in the gospel were wondering, and perhaps wanting to test if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, they brought to Jesus a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to heal him. In a sense, they were calling for a sign from Jesus, to prove that Jesus was the one they were waiting for.
But notice what Jesus does, he doesn’t go ahead and heal the deaf man on the spot, but Jesus took him off by himself away from the crowd, isn’t this interesting. As we know in many of the healing accounts he heals in front of an audience. In this story Jesus opened the man’s ears and removed his speech impediment on the side. Perhaps this is because Jesus wanted to let the man know that he healed him not to prove himself to the people, but because Jesus loved this man for himself and wanted him to believe in his love and his healing power. Obviously though, Jesus knew that when he healed the man he would most likely go and tell everyone, and the word would get around, and that the people who had requested for the sign would know that indeed Jesus did heal him. Through this healing account those who were skeptical would come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah for themselves.
So now, so what about today? Do you know anyone who has been blind but now can see, or who was deaf but now hear? Do you know anyone who has been miraculously healed of a speech impediment? I sure don’t. Even still, as someone who has had a speech impediment all my life, this reading has always had a special place in my heart, my heart trusts that God could heal if he so desired.
So, what are we to take away from these readings? Should we look for signs, and expect healings? We all have difficulties in our lives, we all have things we wish and we pray God would take away from us. We can be anxious and worried, perhaps frightened, about many things, and we want God to take away our difficulties. Many people we know desire to know that God hears their prayers. And for some, if they don’t get that prayer answered, that burden lifted, then they choose not to believe that God loves them or is active in their life.
But, we know that is not true. God miraculously heals people still today, we know he does; for those whom it would be best for them. But I think the question we need to ask ourselves, and perhaps ask those who are waiting for a sign in order to believe, is this: Is God taking away that difficulty the only way you’ll come to faith in Him? Is God doing this sign the only thing He can do for you to give your life to Him? Remember doubting Thomas saying he wouldn’t believe unless he sees the proof. In this case, Jesus does give Thomas proof. But Jesus then says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”. God does want us to have faith in Him, to really ‘see’ and know Him; but perhaps God is asking- Is taking away that difficulty the only way you’ll come to faith and let me be your God?
My brothers and sisters, God has entered into a relationship with us, a fatherly relationship. And out of His fatherly love, God has given His only Son, so that we can come to know Him. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies in the Old Testament, like in our first reading, so that all people can believe in Him, including ourselves. God is our Father, and He has done all He can to bring us to salvation and make us his children once again. God has already given Himself completely to us, and continues to do so, but for some that isn’t good enough. For some, God sending His Son to die to save us isn’t enough. God doing all He can to re-enter into relationship with us is not enough for some to enter into relationship with Him. In unconditional love for us, God has entered into a covenantal familial relationship with us. God doesn’t want a cold, impersonal contractual relationship with us- an if you do this for me, then I will believe and live my life your way, kind of relationship. God doesn’t want our faith in Him to be conditional, to be conditioned only by our terms, after all God’s love for us surely is not conditioned.
So why doesn’t God take away our difficulties like we ask him to, why doesn’t God answer our prayers the way we want? Why hasn’t God taken away my speech impediment? Well I have come to know the love of God and I know God is active in my life even though He hasn’t healed me of my stuttering. I don’t need him to heal my stuttering in order to believe in Him. I have, and I continue to, give my life to Him out of love, simply trying to respond to God first loving me. I have given God my stuttering, and I have continuously asked Him to heal me of it. I would love not to have this burden, not to have this cross to carry. But my brothers and sisters, I know that since I have given God my stuttering, since I have given that burden and difficulty to God, God has used it for good; for as our Gospel concludes, “He has done all things well”. God has used this perceived difficulty, this cross I have to carry, for my good and for the good of others. I understand now that my stuttering has helped to form who I am, I believe I am more compassionate and I can relate to others and their struggles better because of this cross. I pray God continues to use me, my strengths and my perceived weaknesses, for the good and salvation of myself and others.
What about you, your struggles and your crosses. We all have difficulties in life. But do you need God to do take them away in order to give your whole self to Him? Are you waiting for a sign? Have you surrendered that difficulty you want to get rid of to God, and let Him do what He wants with you instead of you trying to make Him do what you want? Do you trust that the Father loves you and wants to do what is for your good, and for the good of others? Do you believe that God can use your burdens, your difficulties, and the way you live with them for others to come to faith? Let us offer up our desires, offer up our all our difficulties and sufferings to Him, for the good and salvation of ourselves and others.