The Message
They describe the church as a place where one beggar tells another where to find bread. The last verse in this is the picture of the Gospel to me -- a man who has been healed by the Savior, who can now see, goes from stationary beggar to someone following Jesus down the road. He doesn't know where the road leads or what encounters him beyond the next rise, but he knows he has been healed, and so the natural next thing to do is follow Jesus down the road.
Christ comes to us, extending grace and mercy and peace, given as a free gift to restore our relationship with God. We who were blind are offered sight, we who were dead are offered life, we who were hopeless and in despair are offered joy and the boldness to hope.
Once we receive that, what else are we to do but follow Jesus down the road, no matter how uncertain it may be?
Later on, further down the road, it's easy to think that the road has grown harder, and to wonder if the journey is still worth it. We only think that because we've forgotten that we were once stationary, sitting as blind beggars beside the road. No one wants to go back there. May we remember how amazing the gift is, realize who it is that is giving us the gift, and may the memory of that wonder and awe continue to compel us to follow down the road, wherever that may lead.
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