In the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.

 Glory to Jesus Christ Glory forever.

.At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus proclaimed the words of the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord has come upon me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, the release of captives, the recovery of sight to the blind."

In the Scriptures, we find very often that God calls his people blind. And so this word of the mercy of God that Jesus proclaims is not just about physical healing, though that is a wonder and a joy for those who suffer, but it's more than that. It's speaking about the very hearts of his people that have gone astray.

Isaiah, for example, in another place speaks of "You that are blind, look up and see. And who is blind but my servants? You have often seen but do not observe. You have ears but do not hear."

People hear the word of God, his commandments of life, but they don't heed them. They don't pay attention. They have eyes to see, but do not observe his ways that lead them away from destruction and into the kingdom of peace and joy everlasting.

And so when we hear in the Gospel today of this man that was blind and is granted sight, we should open our eyes. He sets a pattern for us to follow in seeking the Lord.

The disciples themselves see but do not observe what is truly needed in this moment. They see only an annoying beggar by the side of the road, someone that's a distraction. "We're trying to follow Jesus here and we're trying to pay attention and look to what he might do. And here you are making a scene. Be quiet."

But the man who cannot see knows what is needed and calls out all the more strongly: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." And when the Lord comes to him, he knows exactly what he asks: "That I may receive my sight." He knows what is wrong in his life, and he knows that Jesus is the one who has the power to make things right in that life.

Brothers and sisters, we see but so often we do not observe what is needed right around us. We are caught and distracted by the surface of things, by appearances, by circumstances, by imaginations that we have, fears and anxieties, hopes and dreams, vanities, worries about ourselves, about other people—imagining that my life would be right if only I had what this other person had, or being so caught by some trouble in our life, of ourselves, of another person, that we cannot recognize what it is that we are supposed to do.

We're not asking the right questions so very often. Where is God truly in what it is that I see around me? Where can I recognize his hand at work even in the midst of our trials and confusion? Who is my neighbor truly—the one that God has placed in my path that I might be able in his name to show mercy and love? What am I meant to do in this moment? And how may I begin?

As long as our eyes are blinded by our own confusion, our own imaginings, as long as our sight is not healed to see clearly what is here before us, we cannot do what is necessary and right.

St. Paul today in his epistle reminds us of the words that we pray every time before we receive Holy Communion: "I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first."

And he goes on to say that this mercy is granted to him that Christ Jesus might show first in him all longsuffering, that he might be a pattern for all those who come after.

Brothers and sisters, this is how we are to understand our lives: that whatever else is going on, I am the first of sinners. There is no comparison among people. What we think we know and see when we look into someone else's eyes, into their life, we only go so far. We cannot see into the hearts of those around us as God sees truly. We do not know what actually is going on—what hidden strengths those that are not attractive and appealing to us might have, and what secret struggles others may be suffering from even when all seems well on the outside.

And as we come to follow this teaching of St. Paul that we have heard today, we come to recognize that I am neither blameless nor am I unforgivable. I am beloved. Beloved by God, the one who delights to show mercy in us.

And as we are healed, as our eyes are opened and our sight is made clear by the grace and mercy of God, we come to truly recognize our own sin, but also the mercy of God. "Receive your sight," as he says to the blind man. "Your faith has made you well."

That we come to live by the light of Christ and no other. We are granted new eyes in his kingdom, new life in Christ, as we set aside the works of darkness and seek the light of life.

And so as we begin this work of seeking the Lord, striving with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, with all our mind to love the Lord our God, and to learn to begin to love our neighbors as ourselves with the love that Christ has shown to us, we are beginning to grow up into that measure of the stature, the fullness of Christ Jesus our Lord, so that when we will meet the Lord face to face as we all will on the last day, we will be granted eyes to see him with gladness and joy and peace forever and ever.

Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory forever.