Readings and Reflections for the Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 10:46-52
Dear Friends,
The prophet Jeremiah speaks word of hope to a conquered people, living as captives in a foreign land. God will bring them all back home again, saving and restoring Israel once more in their own land.
Mark’s Gospel tells the story of a blind man begging on the streets of Jericho. Crying out for mercy when Jesus passes by, his sight is restored by Jesus who says, “Your faith has made you well.”
The Letter to the Hebrews continues its comparison of Jesus with the Temple Priesthood of Jerusalem. Unlike the temple priests, the risen Jesus continues for ever and is “able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Comment: Today’s lessons all remind me of my need to persistently cry out to God, who in Jesus comes to save and restore us all. Is there blindness, where I experience myself without vision, not knowing where to go? Cry out in faith! Is there defeat, failure, and captivity in my life? A promise is made that the Lord will bring me back from this place. I am reminded today of my need to trust the risen and living Jesus who is always aware of us, hears us, and calls to us. What I need to do, day after day, is remember to look to him with faith, especially when it seems I am not heard.