“Persistence pays off”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, June 28, 2024
Matthew 20: 29-34 (Forward, p. 61) CEV p. 1009
Not only do we find Jesus continually messaging the idea that persistence in prayer is important (see Luke’s story of the widow and the corrupt judge as an eloquent example of this, Luke 18:1-8), we also see it illustrated on numerous occasions over the course of Jesus’ ministry. We saw this with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30) and here we see it with the twin beggars, blind men, sitting by the side of the road outside of Jericho. Upon hearing that Jesus was coming their way, they set up a clammer, shouting, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!”
The crowds near them bade them to be quiet, but they persisted and shouted all the louder, repeating once again their same refrain. Eventually Jesus heard them, stopped and came to them, and asked them that same old, seemingly ridiculous question, “What do you want me to do for you?” (I have often thought that, given their condition, the answer was obvious, but nevertheless, Jesus persists in asking it.) However, perhaps Jesus simply wanted them to state their case, to identify their need—assuming nothing—and put their faith into words.
Some people might have been taken back by the oddity of Jesus’ question but not these two men. They immediately replied, “Lord, we want to see!” Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes. Right away they could see, and they became Jesus’ disciples—a kind of unexpected double-blessing from their persistence. And so, to me, this conveys a most needful message: we not only need to pray—which we can sometimes be rather lax in—but we also need to ‘keep at it’ and not give up on either praying, or expecting God’s answer.
Forward notes: “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes” (verse 34a).
“I was Randy’s server at the packed, noisy feeding ministry. Each time I passed his table, he had emptied another large cup of iced tea and held his cup out for more. We’d chat briefly as I filled his cup. As I served others in the parish hall, I could hear Randy shouting, ‘Phil, more tea!’ I felt hassled. After his sixth glass, I placed a pitcher full of tea in front of Randy. ‘Here!’ Colour drained from his face. I immediately realized my cruel insensitivity. Randy was as thirsty for compassion as he was for tea. I sat down and poured him another cup despite others calling for more tea.
“In today’s reading from Numbers [Numbers 20:1-13], the congregation shouts at Moses, ‘There is no water to drink.’ God compassionately has Moses strike a rock, and water flows abundantly. In Matthew, Jesus heals two insistent blind men who shout to him, ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’
People shout out to us for compassion, sometimes in loud voices or actions but often silently, through sad eyes. They shout out for us to pause, to be totally present, and to compassionately hear their story.”
Moving Forward: “Who needs your compassion?”