“What do you want me to do for you?” said Jesus, addressing him. “Rabboni,” the blind man answered, “I want to recover my sight.”
I want to see
my life ’till now
as blessing plenty
my life in this moment
as blessing overflowing
my life from here forward
as blessing continuousI want to see
your life ’til now
as worthy of acceptance
your life in this moment
as worthy of love
your life from here forward
as worthy of followingI want to see
my life and
your life and
our life and
more life and
playing together and
growing into and
As with James and John, when there is a face-to-face meeting, Jesus asks what is really being requested.
This is important when the generic ask at first was simply for “mercy”. Mercy comes in a great variety of ways, large and small. When asking for mercy, for our own life or the life of someone else, the range of what that means is unpredictable in the same way that our bargaining in grief can be for something small or large.
The response to the question of meaning begins with a title, “Teacher”. This is a place to reflect on the way this blind beggar was first presented with another title on his tongue, “Son of G*D”. Dispensing with the male content, we hear about one who cohabits with G*D. To be in the presence of one is to be in the presence of the other.
If these are parallel titles, might we not all begin to see ourselves and others as teachers. We support and correct one another along our respective paths that we better partner with G*D and Neighb*r.
Seemingly without hesitation, the beggar makes known his understanding of what “mercy” means in his life. To receive sight, to see. No, no interpreter can go any further into what this means. Rather readers are encouraged to ask of themselves what it would be for them to “see”.
Experience and language will play a big part of what that might mean for an individual. If you spoke “Zoque, the equivalent expression is ‘permit my eyes to shine’.” [Bratcher340] What would bring such a sparkle to your eyes and life that you would hie your beloved self into a wilderness to find your own next becoming?