GOD GIVES LIFE AND LIGHT


FRIDAY, FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

Isa 29:17-24; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; Mt 9:27-31

The Eyes of the Blind will See

After the fall, God did not abandon us, for he made us in his image and plans to bring us to be like him. Creation, as we noted yesterday, was a gate leading to communion with God. But sin diminished man’s ability to see the light of God and weakened his will to follow the little light he sees in creation. For one who has physical sight, it is difficult to understand the blindness that results from sin and a sinful lifestyle. The difficulty of a sinner comprehending the light of God is comparable to a man born blind understanding what sight is. Because we were conceived and brought to life in sin, we lack the facility to easily understand what spiritual light or sight entails. So, the scriptures present conversion as receiving a new birth. As we have previously explained, the consequence of our disobedience to the word is real and immediate on us when we commit sin. The consequence of sin is death; the spiritual death is real, just as sin is real. Death is a loss of life; in this case, the loss of a spiritual life and light. For it is through the spiritual life that we see the light. This spiritual life is God’s, and it is conferred on us by the word of God. Hence, the scripture says: “In your light we see light itself.” The spiritual life which the word of God confers on us is the facility of light through which we perceive the light of God or his word.

Subsequently, the primary referents of the prophecy of Isaiah are the spiritually dead or impaired, and the secondary referents are the physically impaired. “In a short time, a very short time, shall not Lebanon become fertile land and fertile land turn into forest? The deaf, that day, will hear the words of a book and, after shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.” The prophecy is about Yahweh’s readiness to reveal his word to us, for our redemption and healing. The coming of the Word is primarily for our spiritual healing and redemption from evil, and secondarily for our physical healing and redemption. Because man is an organism made for physical and spiritual communion, the word of God addresses the two-faceted problem of man. But the main one is his spiritual death or blindness, which must be addressed before all others can be fixed. When we receive spiritual life and light from the word of God, we shall be renewed in all aspects of our lives. “No longer shall Jacob be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale, for he shall see what my hands have done in his midst, he shall hold my name holy. They will hallow the Holy One of Jacob, stand in awe of the God of Israel. Erring spirits will learn wisdom and murmurers accept instruction.” But to receive this healing or not to receive is dependent on us, for God gives us his word liberally.

The word of God awaits our recognition of our nothingness and total dependence on God for life and light, as the Psalmist proclaims. “The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?” This self-emptying is what is required for the word of God to take residence in us and become our life and light. If there is a delay in the promise of life and light, then it is because we have not validated our need for God. We see the requirement for our validation of our need for God’s grace in the Gospel, in the encounter between the Lord and the two blind men, who followed him, saying: “‘Take pity on us, Son of David.’ And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Sir, we do.’ Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you.’ And their sight returned.” We must never follow God as one of the options we have in life, but as the only option. This is the condition for the word of God to easily take residence in us. We must believe the word of God, wait on him, long and desire his coming, follow him when he appears, for he alone is our life and light. As we believe and follow him, we will see, talk, and live spiritually with him. “There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.”

Let us pray: Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come, that with you to protect us, we may find rescue from the pressing dangers of our sins, and with you to set us free, we may be found worthy of salvation. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.   

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