Evening Prayer 2-27-11

Reading:
John 9:1-23

"I went and washed and received my sight."

This poor man was born blind.  He never in his life time had been able to see the beauty of God's created world around him.  Instead he would be stuck in darkness of sight and have to beg for money to care for himself.  Having a disability in these days, often it was assumed that the person or their parent must have sinned and this caused the calamity to be brought upon the person.  This is why they asked Jesus,"Who sinned, this man or his parents"  (John 9:2)  But Jesus quickly sets it straight that this poor man's blindness was not due to sin, but rather that God's works could be revealed. 

So our Savior spit on the ground made mud and placed it on the young man's eyes and told him to wash.  When he did he could see.  What a marvelous thing that he could now see and behold with his own eyes the beauty that God had created around him.

It is the same way for each of us.  We are born spiritually blind.  We are just like this man we stumble around this world trying to figure out our spiritual life on our own.  When we realize that we are truly blind and don't know where to go, we become like him in that we are beggars trying to find mercy.  It is at this point that our Savior, Jesus Christ, reaches down and calls you to Himself.  It is here that He brings you to Holy Baptism where you take off your filthy clothes and He places on you His righteousness.  He takes the scales from your eyes so that you can see clearly who you are and more importantly who Jesus Christ is.  We do what our Lord commands to do by taking water with the Word and pronouncing I baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It is here in they mystical waters that your sins are washed away because Jesus Christ applies His life to you in these waters.  You know see yourself as a sinner who has been redeemed and you see Jesus as your only hope of Glory.  Now you can see things from a spiritual perspective because the Holy Spirit has been given to you and lives in you by faith.

May you say with the blind at because of your Holy Baptism, "I went and washed and now I see!"  Amen.