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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world’s salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 79.1-5
O God, the heathen have come into your heritage;
your holy temple have they defiled
and made Jerusalem a heap of stones.
The dead bodies of your servants they have given
to be food for the birds of the air,
and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the field.
Their blood have they shed like water
on every side of Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
We have become the taunt of our neighbours,
the scorn and derision of those that are round about us.
Lord, how long will you be angry, for ever?
How long will your jealous fury blaze like fire?
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Luke 18.35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.
Reflection
Most of us will have been at meetings or social events where one person attempts to shout everyone else down. They use their loud voice and overbearing personality to make sure that their opinion, however misguided, is the one that dominates. It is very rare that those ‘shouty’ people pay any attention to the expertise or emotional responses of those around them. In fact, the one thing they seem to have in common is that they never listen to anyone else because they are so certain that they are always right. In a meeting it is the job of the chairperson to be strong in controlling such people; whilst in a social setting it is the shared responsibility of everyone present to protect and nurture each other as Mr or Mrs Shouty try to dominate everyone else.
Sometimes it is appropriate, of course, for us to take on the role of the shouty one. Sometimes what we have to say is far too important, and should not be silenced by anyone. We see just such a moment in today’s reading. A blind man was begging by the roadside. This would have been the only way such a person could generate any sort of income in first century society. Then, as he sat by the roadside he became aware of a great crowd bustling and swirling around him. It is easy to imagine him grabbing someone and asking what was going on. It was then that he heard the amazing news that Jesus was passing by.
Even that blind man had heard the good news of Jesus, the one who was able to cure the incurable, the one who was able to give new life, new hope to all, and he shouted. That unnamed blind man shouted for all his worth: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! We should not be surprised that those around him told him to be quiet. You can almost imagine them telling him to ‘show some respect’, or to ‘keep his personal needs to himself’. That is easy to imagine because it is what we might well find ourselves saying should such a situation occur today!
The blind man did not keep quiet. The blind man shouted and shouted until Jesus responded by picking him out of the crowd, recognizing his faith, and healing him. Then, that shouty blind man glorified God, and led others to see the power of Jesus, leaving them praising God as well.
As we live out our daily lives, let us pray that we might not join the ranks of Mr and Mrs Shouty as we seek to be the most important and the most influential. Instead, let us pray that we might not hesitate in raising our voices about the one thing of which we can be certain … God’s love for us all.
Prayers of intercession
Let us pray that the Church and the world shall be guided to walk in the way of the Lord.
Bless the Church with clear vision to follow wherever the gospel leads. Open the ears of all Christian people to hear and respond to those who cry out for the divine mercy.
Give compassion to those in authority, that they may know the needs of those they govern and use their power for good. Enlighten all the people of the world who go on their way unseeing and unguided, and bring them to knowledge of salvation.
We pray for ourselves, that as we pass by on our journey through the world we may not be blind to the needs of those who come close to us. Bless our community with the spirit of love and concern for one another.
Have mercy on the blind and all whose sight is impaired. Bless the doctors who work to save and restore sight, and all who work in places where many suffer from diseases of the eyes.
We give thanks for the departed who have followed the way of faith and come to the end of their journey. Grant them, and to us in our time, the perfect vision of holiness in eternity.
May our prayers be accepted through Christ, the merciful Son of David.
Prayer for the week
God of righteousness, God of peace,
forgive the selfishness, greed and arrogance
that cause us to be at enmity one with another.
Help us and all people to live together
in Christian love and goodwill;
and teach the nations of the world
the things that belong to their peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.