Exaudi - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Exaudi
Numbers 14:1-25      Luke 18:18-34 

What images come to mind when you think of Jesus, God’s Christ? The pictures of Christ which come to mind are many and varied, probably coming from various pictures you have seen. Hopefully, your mind has some images which have been painted solely by the word of Holy Scriptures.

What might those images be? Jesus as the Good Shepherd, holding a little lamb? Jesus kneeling or seated with children gathered around? Jesus standing in a boat with arms outstretched over tempestuous waters, while the disciples are cowering? A vision of Jesus at His Transfiguration, glowing white with Peter, James, John, Elijah, and Moses? Maybe your vision reflects today’s Gospel, Jesus gently touching the eyes of a blind man.

These mental visuals of Jesus bring comfort to our hearts and minds. These Biblical visuals of Jesus lead us to think of Jesus as a man who loves us, a man who wants us to enjoy life and to be happy. And, we like that. It appeals to our wants and desires.

We’re like the disciples in our text. Jesus informed them of why they were going to Jerusalem, He gave them a description of Himself, a graphic visual, by saying, “Everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." That is a graphic visual! An ugly, but graphic picture to visualize.

This is a visual of the purpose Jesus took on human flesh, to fulfill everything that was written about Him by the prophets in the Scriptures. But His disciples did not understand.

Then, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man, sitting by the side of the road, was healed by Jesus. The disciples witnessed this, they saw it with their own eyes. Immediately the blind man followed Jesus, glorifying God, and then the disciples, and all the people, gave praise to God.

When we think about Jesus, there are pictures we like. We like pictures baby Jesus, Jesus with the children on His lap, Jesus holding a little lamb, Jesus calming the sea, Jesus kneeling down and touching a blind beggar.

We like the idea of Jesus as our guide and teacher. We want Jesus to understand us. We want Him to heal our diseases and make our lives a bit less turbulent. We’d like Jesus to remove all the trials and tribulations. If only Jesus would be flashy all the time. If only He’d do the big miracles all the time, then we would see that He is God. Then, we’d be happy.

Too bad we are blind and do not grasp things right away. If only we had the sight to see what is most important. Like the disciples, we don’t like the idea of Jesus dying, certainly not by crucifixion. That’s an image we’d rather not see. There are not many crucifixion scenes upon the walls of many homes, and even crucifixes with a body upon them are not all that popular. 

But that is exactly the picture Jesus gave the disciples – that is precisely what He informed them was going to happen – in order to accomplish all that what was written about Him in the prophets. The disciples didn’t get it until later, not until after His resurrection, for it is in the resurrection that the crucifixion is vindicated. 

It was forty days after His resurrection, as He was preparing to ascend into heaven, that Jesus spoke with His disciples, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.”  (Luke 24:44-48)

Do you see the picture that Jesus paints of Himself? Those with the true sight of faith see Jesus fulfilling the Old Testament in His suffering, His death, and His resurrection.

How does The Shepherd love the sheep? By laying down His life for His sheep?

How does Christ save the children? He gives His life as the sacrifice to defeat sin and death, that which would kill them and bring them harm.

Christ’s arms outstretched in the boat? Yes, His arms outstretched upon the cross. In the midst of the tempestuous seas of life, His death brings us to the safe harbor of life eternal in the nave of His church.

On the mount of transfiguration, Moses and Elijah came to speak with Jesus. They talked about the things that were about to take place, the events of His passion which would fulfill what they had written – those things in which they had trusted, which had brought them eternal life, Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.

Yes, Jesus touched the eyes of the blind. So they might see His as their Savior, the One who died that they might have eternal life.

Peter’s first sermon is all about Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. He boldly proclaimed that these events in Jesus’ life were the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. On that day of Pentecost, Peter got it. He painted a graphic picture of Christ’s suffering and death. It was to the proclamation of Christ crucified that those hearing the message responded. Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Peter gave a graphic verbal visual of Christ crucified and then raised from the dead. Why? So that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name.

Paul writes to the church at Corinth. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.  For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:17,18) Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:22-24 ) For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2)

When we speak of Jesus Christ, what is it that you see? Do you have the eyes of faith? What is the picture of Christ that is most vivid in your mind? What is it that saves you from sin and death? What is it that grants you life eternal?

It is a glorious thing. Paul proclaims this miracle to you through his letter to the Romans. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  (Romans 6:3‑5) 

Dearly beloved of God, you have been baptized into Christ’s death and His resurrection. In daily contrition and repentance, you drown your sins in Christ and are raised again to a new life. Your eyes have been opened that you may see that this is the greatest picture of God ever painted for you. 

You want a sight for sore eyes, eyes wet with the tears of the pain and sorrows of this life, the pain and sorrows that assail us daily because of sin? Then look to the message the disciples didn’t understand – at least not at the point in time which our text records for us – “that everything written about the Son of Man by the prophets was accomplished. For he was delivered over to the Gentiles and was mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they killed him, and on the third day He rose."

Open your eyes to remember Christ’s words, “greater love has no man than this that He lay down His life for His friends.” Greater love has no man than this, for Christ lay down His life for you, His dearly beloved.

Let us pray:     We ask Lord that the things of this world would not blind us, and that You Spirit would open our eyes to see the great love you have for us in Your Son Jesus Christ, the Crucified One, who rose that we might have life and have it to the full. Amen.