In today’s Gospel the people in the crowd following Jesus don’t appreciate how important their role is in helping others to encounter him. Just the mention of him name provokes such a strong reaction in the blind man today that they tried to silence him as crazy, maybe as someone not even worth the Rabbi’s time. If there had not been a commotion to begin with, and if no one had mentioned Our Lord’s name that man would have remained blind and begging.
We’re that crowd. There are lots of blind and needy people out there, not just the poor and sick, but people who are spiritually blind and needy. We have an opportunity to bring them to the One who’ll help them to see and provide for their true needs, but if we don’t make a commotion and let people know about Jesus, they may never find out. Perhaps we’ve met someone in our lives for whom a passing comment on our part has led to a deeper faith life than we’d expected; we shouldn’t underestimate the power of his name.
The First Reading reminds us today that domesticating our faith is not far from silencing it. Let’s not be afraid to make a commotion in Jesus’ name so that all those blind and needy people out there have a chance to meet him and be transformed.
Readings: 1 Maccabees 1:10–15, 41–43, 54–57, 62–63; Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158; Luke 18:35–43. See also 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, Year I.