#asking god

(for someone who’s merely surviving)

What do I need?

Not “what do I want?” But, really, but what do I actually need?

Not just “what do I actually need to keep body and soul together?” That’s a good place to start.

Just don’t stop there. Take the question to the next level. The level that God is calling each one of us to.

What do I actually need – to thrive? Not just body. But soul as well. 

This is where God wants us to be. Not just surviving. But thriving. Body and soul.

This is what today’s Gospel is about. This is exactly what God wants us to be asking Him for.

Because you and I have needs that can only be met by God.

It’s just part of how we’re made. And until those needs are met, you and I will never have peace.

As St. Augustine put it, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

The point of today’s Gospel?

That you and I shouldn’t waste our time worrying about how we’re going to meet those needs on our own.

On our own, we can’t. Not in any way that works for very long.

All we really need to do is to go to God. And ask.

For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ 

And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.’ ” 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a blind man.

It’s just what we would expect from Jesus. No surprises here.

But before we write it off as yet another healing by Jesus, there’s something special about how it happens. And there’s a message in it for you and me.

Actually, the way it happens has two messages for us. The first one is in what Jesus does.

Jesus is coming into Jericho. This is a place that Jesus has been many times. They love Him in Jericho.

He could have gone to any restaurant in town, and dinner would have been on the house.

He’s got friends who live there. He could have gone to see them.

Instead, who does Jesus seek out? The people most in need of His help. Starting with the blind man.

The second message for us is in what the blind man does.

The blind man knows he can’t fix things on his own. He knows that he needs help. God’s help.

We see him take the critical step. We see him get over himself. We see him get over any worries about what other people will think. And ask for God’s help.

Which means what?

God doesn’t just want to help us. God is actively seeking us out to help us.

Help will be given to us when we ask.

But we’ve got to stop worrying about what others will think.

We’ve got to get over ourselves enough to ask.