Two blind man attempt to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:27-31). How come? You can ask so. But, let’s try to imagine that they may hear the crowd, if Jesus is supposed to be followed by. They may learn from somebody that Jesus is about to go on his way. As they are blind, the only thing they can do is to shout so that they can attract Jesus’ attention. But no answer, no stop, no sound of any human paths approaching to them. And Jesus just goes on his way. And our two blind men go after him till he reaches the house where a surprising conversation takes place. It’s surprising, because they thought that Jesus seemed not to listen to their cry. “Do you believe I can do this?” asks Jesus. “We do, sir”, they said. It’s surprising because Jesus touches their eyes and their sight returns.

 

Jesus listened to their shouts, but he wanted to make sure if that shouts belonged to them. In such crowd, it was difficult to discern which shouts belong to whom. Jesus continued his way and invited them to go out off the crowd, to get rid off the anonymous faith. Jesus wanted to assure that their faith was not mere a common belief based on what many people said, but faith coming from their personal experience. That’s why when he reached at the house, he asked such a question. House symbolizes an intimate place. Most of miracles in the Gospel take place in an intimate place and encounter with Jesus.

 

Once a religion becomes mass religion, there is always a risk that faith becomes only a cultural matter. I go to church because everyone goes. I go to confession because everyone does it or because it’s part of our customs before the big fiestas of the year. Following Jesus is beyond such a mass or collective attitude. We follow Jesus because we personally experience him, that he is the only reason to hope and to live. Miracle happen everyday in your heart, the very house of your encounter with Jesus. In this time of Advent, Jesus invites us to keep a special and particular for him in our heart. If you want to listen to the same question he asked to the blind men, you must learn to put off your head set, switch off your electronic devices and start to listen to him. And you will have the new sight everyday to see in new way what ever you experience everyday. After all, I assure you that you’ll feel that really your life is too beautiful to neglect.
(Fr. Reynaldo F. Tardelly, s.x.)