Posts Tagged ‘Isaiah 29:17–24’
“Where There Is No Vision” – Br. David Vyrhof
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Br. David Vryhof
I remember a sermon preached some years ago by the now-retired Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry. In it, he recalled waiting in an airport for his plane to board and deciding to get his shoes shined. As his shoes were being shined, he struck up a conversation with the man who was shining his shoes and learned that he had been doing this work for many years and that he worked very long hours every week. Bishop Curry asked him how he came to be so dedicated to his work. “Well, I have a son in college,” the man explained, “and I plan to keep shining shoes as long as I can, to see him through.”
“That man had a vision,” said Bishop Curry, a vision of his son receiving an education that had not been possible for his parents and that would open doors for him that they could never have entered. It was this vision that inspired and motivated him every day. “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” the Bishop reminded us, quoting Proverbs 29:18.
We all need a vision, especially if we hope to make a difference in the world: a vision of what the world can be and of what we can be that motivates us and inspires us to bring about change. Read More
Then the Eyes of the Blind Shall be Opened – Br. David Vryhof
Isaiah 29:17-24; Matthew 9:27-31
We might assume, at first glance, that this is just another healing story among many in the gospels. There were numerous accounts of Jesus healing, as we know, and the gospel writers cited them as proof that Jesus was from God and was doing the work of God. As a miracle story, this account has some unique features, such as the fact that two blind men were healed rather than one, and that the healing took place inside a house rather than in an open public space. The important role that believing seems to play in this account is also noteworthy. In other miracle stories Jesus does not seem to require faith on the part of the person in need, but here he specifically questions the faith of the blind men. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” he asks them. He underscores the importance of their faith a second time when he makes a direct connection between their belief and their ability to receive healing: “According to your faith let it be done to you.” Only after he has tested their faith does the healing occur. Read More