Friday of the First Week of Advent

Did you notice that the two men do not ask Jesus to heal their blindness? They ask for compassion. Did you notice that Jesus assumes that these men would understand him when he asks, “Do you believe that I can do this?” What's “this”? Heal? Show compassion? When the two men answer Jesus, “Yes, Lord,” what are they agreeing to exactly? Are they equating compassion with healing? Jesus touches their eyes, and their eyes are opened.

But while he touches their eyes and before their eyes are opened, Jesus says, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” Now we have some sort of relationship between and among compassion, healing, and faith. Did you notice that the men have nothing to say immediately after they are healed? We've seen others who are healed shout and dance and cry with joy. These two are silent… at first. They are healed according to their faith through the compassion of the Christ.

Jesus sternly warns these two to be silent about their healing. They disobey him, spreading their good news throughout the land. Advent asks us to do two seemingly mutually exclusive things: silently wait upon the Lord's arrival and loudly proclaim the Good News of his compassion and healing. According to your faith, do you believe that you can do this?