Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi
Turning to the disciples in private, he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23)
Our reading for today invites us to think through some challenging questions about seeing, hearing, and knowing. The verses quoted above remind us that it matters whether we see. And it highlights the point that just because something is available for us to see—may even be right in front of us—does not mean that we see it. Or, we might actually see something but pay no attention to it. In other words, Jesus is telling us, not all “seeing” really sees. Likewise, not all “hearing” really hears.
Jesus clearly speaks of what he knows—what he has seen and heard. Among those who don’t really see or hear, he mentions prophets and kings—people who acted and spoke with great authority in his times (and do so in ours as well). Jesus knew all about people in positions of power and authority who couldn’t see, couldn’t hear. Or if they did, they did nothing good in response.
One way we might characterize Jesus’ ministry is to say that he did all he could to help those in power (especially religious authorities) see the kinds of people they often (typically?) didn’t see or attend to: the sick, the “unclean,” the poor, women (especially widows), children (especially orphans), sinners, and anyone else on the lower rungs of society. It was those sorts of people that Jesus sought out, healed, and forgave. And, in performing incredible acts of grace to “the underserving,” he made them visible to the powers of his day, which needless to say the powers did not appreciate.
As we read stories of Jesus’ ministry and teaching, we, too, are challenged to really see. Like the powers of his day, we ought to ask ourselves what we see and what we don’t, what we attend to and what we don’t, and why. Those are tough questions that, if we pursue them in all seriousness, raise other tough questions. And we must ask them, if we are to be followers of Jesus.
But there is something else. To follow Jesus definitely means to see and attend to all those who are ignored, shamed, discounted, demonized, scapegoated, and the like. It also means seeing what God is doing all the time and everywhere. It means attending to acts of grace and forgiveness, miracles of reconciliation, love that sutures division.
So, we have to ask ourselves some more questions, like the following:
- Am I watching/listening for God’s doings in the world? Am I on the lookout for that and not just on Sundays but every day?
- If not, why not? What is getting in the way of my seeing/hearing God’s work in the world?
- If I do see/hear it, do I attend to it? Do I nurture it?
- Do I help others also see/hear it and be changed by it?
- How might I do that?
I don’t have the answers to these questions. But I believe that we who want to be Christian can figure it out together, thanks in good part to the cloud of witnesses who have wisdom to share in their lives and writings.
My Prayer: Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart. Lord, I want to be more loving, more holy, like Jesus in my heart. Help me to see the unseen, to hear their cries and stories, to attend to them and their troubles, to bring healing and hope wherever I can. And Lord, help me to see you at work in this broken world so that I may live into its reality in my life. Amen.
—Susan Trollinger