Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

˜ Mark 10:51-52

Jesus heals the blind in all four Gospels, and each story is deeply moving. Earlier in Mark, he heals a blind man by spitting and making mud. Here, Jesus simply says, "Your faith has made you well." Mark's telling of this story is so vivid that it is easy to put ourselves into the scene and hear the blind beggar calling out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" We can see the man spring up, throw off his cloak and rush to Jesus to be healed.

How strong this beggar's faith must have been, that it brought about his healing. Jesus tells him, "Go; your faith has made you well." What great faith he must have had to recognize who Jesus truly was, even without being able to see him. In the darkness of his blindness, the beggar could still see the light.

The healing of the blind, of course, also has a symbolic meaning. Jesus is trying to make the world see the truth, and even his disciples are blind to it. Sadly, humans in the past — and even today — are still blind to the full reality of God's glory. The world is still choosing not to follow Jesus' command to serve one another in love and to make the least of us the greatest.

This is one of the Gospel passages that inspired the Jesus Prayer, which is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It is meant to be repeated over and over, and it was first used by the Desert Mothers and Fathers in Egypt in the fourth century. When done consistently over time, it is a deep and powerful way to invite God's mercy into our blindness. I highly recommend it.

Reflect: When have your eyes been opened on your spiritual journey?

This Lenten Meditation can be found at Episcopal Relief and Development