DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
St. Luke 18:35-43(1/13) For Sunday of the 33rd Week
after Pentecost (Sun of the 28th Week)
The
Creator of Faith: St. Luke 18:35-43, especially vs. 42: “And
Jesus said unto him, 'Receive your sight: your faith
has made you well.'” St. Ephrem, reflecting on the Lord Jesus’ healing of the
blind man at
The
Evangelist begins by revealing how Christ initially “authors” faith
in human hearts. First, He creates
a climate conducive to faith or trust in Himself. Then, He calls those in need to trust
Him. The passage also shows how the
Lord brings trust in Himself to a complete state - by giving those who come to
Him tangible opportunities to express their faith directly. His grace always is active, working in
advance of men’s faith. Also,
the Lord Jesus’ grace actively creates trust within a person, so that one
may respond to Him and thus be saved.
The encounter of the Lord and the blind beggar at
St. Luke
records that the blind man heard a multitude passing and asked “what it
meant” (vs. 36). He was told
“that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by” (vs. 37). His reaction was instantaneous: he
immediately cried out to the Lord (vs. 38). Why so? The obvious answer is that the
Lord’s fame and notoriety as a healer were well known by this point in
time - especially to a blind man.
The Lord Jesus had been preaching to the poor and healing various
diseases (Lk. 4:40), including the giving of sight to
many blind persons (Lk. 7:21). His evident care for those in need,
coupled with His well-documented capacity to cure, was drawing huge crowds (Lk. 8:19).
Undoubtedly, the beggar knew about Jesus, for the Lord had created an
extraordinary climate of faith-potential.
He was feeding crowds of 5,000 or more (Lk.
9:12-17) and even giving life to the dead (Lk.
7:11-18). All around us today He
continues to heal miraculously. And
we hear the Gospels read to us with one account after another
providing reasons for trusting Him; and despite a dry climate of doubt
and scoffing, the wonders of God continue in and through His Church. Truly, Christ our God not only responds
to those who have faith in Him, but, in our own day, He is creating
faith-potential on every side.
Notice
next that when the blind man cried out irrepressibly, the Lord called him to
Himself (Lk. 18:38-40). The Lord Jesus energizes faith by
calling those to Him who wish to have Him act in their lives. His parable of the importunate widow
tells of a woman who drove a judge to distraction until he gave her vengeance. By such illustrations, the Lord
encourages appeal to God (Lk. 18:2-7). Pay attention to the behavior of the
blind beggar, for you, like all of us, are a blind beggar. You can cry out to the Lord from your
darkness with potential faith, and He will hear you and call you to
Himself. Ignore the voices around
you that ask, “What is the use?”, or the voices that warn you,
“You are not important enough!”, or that query, “If God
exists, will He reverse or change this situation?” The Creator of faith is not going to
abandon you in dark doubt. Cry out!
Finally,
the blind man stood before Him, and Christ gave him an opportunity to exercise
faith in Himself. He asked him,
“What do you want Me to do for you?” (Lk.
18:41). Do you think the Lord did
not know what the blind man wanted?
St. Cyril chides us, “Was his request then unknown to
Him?” No! The Creator of faith also lets us
venture in faith to learn that it works and how.
O
Christ, Creator of all things, grant me the grace of faith always to cry out
unto Thee.
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