Ed, my old neighbour from Saskatchewan, called yesterday. Unfortunately, I was away and missed his call. My wife shared with my old friend that I was as blind as ever. She told him, “Ray asked me where the phone book was yesterday when it was in plain sight sitting below the telephone.” I admit that it wasn’t one of my finer moments. It is the kind of thing Ed will remind me of for the next five years. I insisted it happened as the result of our move here. After a move, it is hard to see where everything belongs. On the brighter side, I haven’t had any trouble finding the phone when it rings. My old neighbour would say I wouldn’t find the phone either if it were a cellphone. He remembers my searching for my lost cellphone when I was his next-door neighbor.
I confess I do seem to miss seeing a few things I’m trying to find. Here in British Columbia, I don’t have a cellphone, so I’m never looking for it. There are things, like my sunglasses, my hat, my car keys and my wallet that can become invisible to me. They have all played hide and seek with me, even though I don’t want to play with them. I hate it when I cannot find them.
In the Bible, Bartimaeus was a blind beggar at the side of the road, who hated being blind and caught in a life of disability. When Bartimaeus heard a crowd that was following Jesus pass by him, he repeatedly called out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Jesus stopped and asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Jesus to do for him. Bartimaeus told Jesus he wanted to see. Immediately, Bartimaeus received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. I wonder if once Bartimaeus received his sight, if he ever had trouble seeing his missing sandal or sock. I wonder how long Bartimaeus followed Jesus along the road. Did he give thanks to God for the rest of his life because Jesus of Nazareth had blessed him with sight? I confess I have regularly forgotten to thank God for my ability to see, and my other senses like taste, touch, hearing and smelling. Why is it, that it is so easy for us to be unthankful to God?
Are we like the man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life? Jesus told him that he needed to sell everything he had, and give the proceeds to the poor and then come and follow Jesus. The man, who was both young and rich, went away sad. He had great wealth and could not part with it. He was intent on keeping in his sight all the wealth that he had. He could not let go of his many possessions and follow Jesus. Surely we live in a materialistic age, when we are pleased with our possessions and congratulate ourselves for what we have. We have good sight when it comes to seeing the things we own. Do we have better eyesight for them, than for seeing God in thankful faith?
