Revealed
Quinquagesima
31 Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; 33 and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”
34 They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
35 As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. 37 “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. 38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
42 “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.” 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 18:31–43 [CSB]
34 They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
And we used to understand none of these things…
They remained hidden from us…
That is because, as St. Paul tells us, only the spiritual can understand the things of and from the Spirit…
And what do you think Jesus’ Words are?
Well, He tells us in John 6: They are Spirit and they are Life.
And His Father only wants worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
And of course both of these things are the same thing…I mean…there is no TRUTH without the SPIRIT and there is NO SPIRIT without the TRUTH. He is that. As Jesus is the Word who became FLESH.
He is the Word and the Word had the SPIRIT descend and remain upon Him. Inspired Word…Inspired WORDS…Always.
…And unless … and until… He reveals the meaning…
We will be as ignorant as His Disciples….
Why do you think Jesus had these would-be future apostles and pastors wait until the Spirit was sent?
Because they were only Baptized with Water…the Spirit was not yet given to be with, in and under the Water…
To remain on those who were to be baptized into… and like Christ Jesus was…
As He was not…no… the Spirit was not… given yet…at John’s Baptism.
So, these sayings… these Words then cannot be understood by those who do not have the Spirit.
Yes, I know…
We think of people as being spiritual because they are sensitive…or wise…or creative. That is not what Jesus or St. Paul…
What God means…by Spiritual.
Spiritual people are only those who… are only so… by having the Holy Spirit abiding on them, in them and with them.
Not just for a time…
But for the rest of their lives…
Otherwise, all these Words of Jesus…are foolishness to them…
Just as the Bible says.
We are amazed…maybe …at times…why people just don’t get it. I have heard it from many of you when you hear or read or see on TV the stuff that people come up with or say and do….
Don’t they get it?
NO. AS they do not have the Spirit… so they cannot…
And when we tell it to them… they do… they think we are crazy… or bad and evil… uncaring… intolerant… bigots…
Foolish and ignorant of the world’s so-called wisdom.
Until the Spirit reveals this to them… then and only then… will they…
Otherwise, they will never see, hear, understand or believe any of it.
To them it looks no different than what every other religion touts as truth.
But these Words of Jesus are TRUTH. THE TRUTH. And the only way to God…the only way to being truly spiritual is through Him…through His Words…with His Spirit.
Do you want to see what These Spirit Filled Words do? Listen again to the rest of our Gospel text:
35 As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. 37 “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. 38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
42 “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.” 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Now how did this blind man get this faith to trust Jesus?
From the same message we have heard… that we hear. The same way we do. The same way the disciples did.
By the Spirit of Christ who comes and opens our eyes, minds and hearts. Who brings faith with them so that we can believe and receive all that Jesus has to offer…
Which is first and foremost the forgiveness of all our sins, then full healing on the last day, even maybe with a little bit here on this earth…this day…
…but definitely and fully on that day…
Then life eternal.
In the meantime, …His Spirit has come to us, remains with us…comforts us…and teaches us what Jesus says.
In the meantime, …we follow Him like this once-blind man …
In the meantime, … we also glorify God…
And meanwhile… we give praise to God as the people there do…who see God’s work.
That is what being spiritual is all about. Being taught to understand this that is God’s work in this life…in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
The crowd? Do they know too?
How much did they understand?
Only a little. Less than the disciples. Less than this former blind man. But some…
Each to their level and capacity.
We are all at different places in this course…that path in which Jesus by His Spirit leads us home…leading us to that perfect understanding which will be ours fully then…
But even here…at this time… on earth… because Jesus shows what Truth is… and what it does…
Each of these people… even the disciples… and the fickle crowd no less… are able to worship by and in the Spirit with and by and because… of this Truth that is revealed to them.
Even us…when that light shines in our darkness…when The Spirit enables the light bulb to click on…
We do… we are.
This is what spirituality is all about.
Doing what He has given us to do where He has placed us to be, with whom He has placed us with.
Walking and talking…doing…and this by hearing, believing and trusting what is declared…what is shown…what is revealed to us from the very Words of Jesus…
Yes, even now… today… at the moment…this very moment…
…and day to day… and week to week. Sunday after Sunday.
Really? Understanding?
Well, that also comes…but only as He reveals and teaches. There is no other way.
That is as it has always been. The Blind leading the Blind until God calls us to Himself by His Spirit, giving us sight…
Partially now, but then in full measure in the world to come.
Then the real praise will come from us…because we will see the full glory of God…and Know Him as He has known us.
Amen.
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