Luke 18:35-43. Luke's telling of the healing of the blind man on the road. As Jesus is passing by on the road with a multitude around him, a blind man hears the crowd and asks what it means. They answer him that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, and so he cries out "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." Jesus stops, calls him forward, and asks what he wants. "Lord, let me receive my sight," he says, and Jesus says "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." Immediately the man gets his sight. He follows Jesus, glorifying God. And the people give praise to God.

The words Luke uses strike me. When the blind man heard the crowd he "inquired what this meant." He could have asked what was happening, or why the crowd, but Luke uses the words "what this meant," I think because it really does mean something - it means everything is changing. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is passing by - there is nothing more meaningful. No one but Jesus could fully answer the question the blind man asks, not then and not now. We don't fully get "what this meant," but we will one day.

Also, the man calls out "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" to get Jesus to stop and see him. This is essentially the Jesus prayer - " "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." The devotion of the Jesus prayer involves saying this repeatedly using a bead string similar to a Rosary. I find the repetition so soothing. It is similar to a mantra, but unlike a mantra it can have a powerful effect on my spiritual well-being.

My soul relaxes when I do the Jesus prayer ritual. This passage shows me why that might be -.when praying this prayer, I am calling to Jesus with the words of the blind man. And just like with the blind man, Jesus stops. In his mercy, he looks at me, and asks "What do you want me to do for you? " I realize that my soul relaxes during this ritual because my soul answers him, even if I do not. (I often don't know what is upsetting me when I turn to the Jesus prayer - I just feel that general sense of anxiety or stress.)

So when I answer him, Jesus hears me, he heals me, and I am calmer and happier. That is why the prayer helps so much - we are following the blind man's example by calling out to Jesus and getting his attention. We get the same response from Jesus that he did, because whenever we call out to Jesus in faith he will answer us.