Moved With Compassion, Jesus Touched Their Eyes

This meditation is based on a passage for June 25, 2010 in the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Matthew 20:29-34

Reflection and Question: Details vary in the versions of this story in Matthew here, Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43. But all three Gospels do agree on one thing: that even though the crowds tried to stop the blind from getting what they desired, Jesus let them come. To this day, Jesus’ receives those who even His followers would stop. And there is one detail unique to Matthew: the compassion that moves Jesus to heal the blind. In Greek, compassion is in verb form, making his response much more physical than emotional. Who do you identify with in this story and why?

Prayer: Beloved Jesus, we see how compassion moved You to give these blind men their sight. You see where we are blind and we, too, cry out, “Have mercy on us, Lord!” Bid us come to You and open our eyes, too, we pray. Amen.