Mark 8:11-26 (NRSV)

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him.  And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."  And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.  And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."  They said to one another, "It is because we have no bread."  And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why are you talking about having no bread?  Do you still not perceive or understand?  Are your hearts hardened?  Do you have eyes, and fail to see?  Do you have ears, and fail to hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?"  They said to him, "Twelve."  "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said to him, "Seven."  Then he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"  They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.  He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?"  And the man looked up and said, "I can see people, but they look like trees, walking."  Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.  Then he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even go into the village.”

The phrase that jumps out today is when Jesus says, “Why does this generation ask for a sign?  Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  A few days ago, I made a remark about the Pharisees and Scribes wanting Jesus to perform a “dog and pony” show to prove that he is who he says he is.  People seem to want to be entertained by the wondrous power and works of God.

Today, the Pharisees confront Jesus to test him and ask for a sign.  He doesn’t give them one and goes from that place and gets into a boat with the twelve.  They didn’t bring with them any bread with them in the boat and that spawns a conversation about bread.  Jesus cautions them about the influence of Herod and the Pharisees and calls it “yeast.”

Yeast causes bread to “rise.”  The Pharisees and Herod were rising up against Jesus and trying to influence others not to believe in him and what he taught.  The disciples still don’t understand.  Jesus then explains that the answer is in plain sight by their experience of the feeding of the 5000 and 4000.  They gathered leftovers, proving that the true word which comes from him is the true bread which gives life to the world.  When they arrive in Bethsaida, Jesus heals a blind man and makes him see clearly.  I still don’t think the disciples are seeing very clearly.

The call that I hear today is to pay attention what is plain sight.  To let Jesus bring us into focus, so we can see the whole forest, and not just concentrate on the trees.  We wonder around sometimes with tunnel vision, unable to see what God is trying to do around us.  If we focus on the big picture, we can get a better vision of where Jesus might be leading us.

John 9:18-41 (NRSV)

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him; he is of age.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God!  We know that this man is a sinner."  He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."   They said to him, "What did he do to you?  How did he open your eyes?"   He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become his disciples?"  Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.  We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."  The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."  They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.  Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"  He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."  Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."  He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.  Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind."  Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

The phrase that immediately jumps out at me in this long passage is, “I have told you already, and you would not listen.  Why do want to hear it again?”  The continuous questioning is obviously getting on the man’s nerves.  The Pharisees are pushing the buttons again, scheming and trying to find something that Jesus has done wrong.

I have got to say that I appreciate the once blind man’s boldness with the leaders.  He answers their inquiries completely, and somewhat sarcastically.  The whole banter following the phrase, “Here is an astonishing thing…” offers the Pharisees an irrefutable explanation of the circumstances.  The leaders refute and claim that the man is trying to teach them (like they are beyond learning something new).  Maybe that’s the problem.

The encounter between Jesus and the blind man is intriguing (then again, wouldn’t an encounter with Jesus always be intriguing?).  In this meeting, Jesus gives the once blind man an opportunity to believe.  The man believes, and worships Jesus.

The leaders overheard Jesus and the man talking and then fall into the conundrum with Jesus over what it means to see.  That is where I feel that the call lies today.  We are called to see.  In order to see we need adequate light and we need to take the time to focus.  Jesus is the light.  He illuminates to dark places in our lives and allows us to see our real selves so that we can deal with it.