Scripture reading for today: Matthew 10-11; Psalm 91
Sometimes people like to argue the point of “powerlessness.” If I listen long enough, I usually hear someone speak of the fear of where the powerless principle might take them. Specifically, my friends who like to talk about these things want to make certain that I can distinguish between concepts like: powerless versus irresponsible, powerless versus helpless and hopeless, and powerless versus passive. These are excellent distinctions. I do not believe that powerless is equal to: irresponsible, helpless, hopeless or passive living.
After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?” Matthew 9:27-28 NLT
Reread the scripture and note the following: these were blind guys. Jesus had just performed a miracle, the news of which had “swept through the entire countryside” (Matthew 9:26 NLT). Can you imagine how the crowds swarmed Jesus? Would it have been easy to follow behind him? Sighted individuals probably had difficulty jostling for positions. How well do we think two blind men would fare? When Jesus got to his destination, the scripture says, “they went right into the house where he was staying.” These guys were persistent. Perhaps the more polite thing to do would have been to pause at the door and wait for Jesus to leave the house. But these guys weren’t interested in polite social norms; they wanted a miracle. They were powerless over their disease, but they were not irresponsible in looking for a solution. Nor were they helpless, hopeless, or passive in their pursuit of freedom from their disease. I believe that acknowledging powerlessness is, at its core, all about honesty.
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6 NIV
“The first step toward honesty is to pay attention. In the words of this text, the choices we face are either to sleep or to be alert and self-controlled. There are days when we would rather ‘sleep’. There are days when the emotional numbness of denial seems less painful than the alertness required by recovery. Couldn’t we just ‘let it ride’ for a day? Couldn’t we just ‘sleep’ for a while? Sometimes people encourage us to ‘sleep’. “Why are you still paying attention to that? It was a long time ago!” Or “Why are you still ‘holding on’ to that? Just forgive and get it behind you.” Wouldn’t it be great to get this over with quickly and not have to pay attention to it anymore? There is a rest, a serenity, that comes from God. But it comes from ‘alertness’ not from ‘sleep’. God’s peace is not like the ‘sleep’ in this text. This sleep is denial, it is avoidance, it is distraction, it is pretending, it is death. Being alert means that we allow ourselves to see and hear, to use our senses and mind and heart. It means that we pay attention to what is happening inside of us and around us. The text urges us to be alert, to pay attention. Pay attention, it urges, even if life is painful, even if it is not what we want it to be.” [1]
Have you worried that admitting your powerless condition is a sign of weakness? Those two blind men got this result from their honest confession of powerlessness:
“Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Matthew 9:29-30 NLT
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled…” 1 Thessalonians 5:6
[1] From Rooted in God’s Love by Dale and Juanita Ryan