Seeing and Not Seeing

Advent Day 14

Second Saturday in Advent

December 10, 2011

Reading: John 16:16–18 (NRSV)

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

Theme: Seeing and Not Seeing

Reflection:

In this Advent season, we pray “Come, Lord Jesus Come”. But when Jesus does come among us, how will we know it? Will we see Jesus? Will we be living in the “little while” when our eyes are opened and Jesus’ presence is visible to us? Will our eyes be opened to the presence of “God with us” and will we be able to see, or will there be so many things distracting us that we will not be able to see Jesus?

In the Gospel of John, seeing is equated with believing. If you don’t believe, then you are not able to see. If you believe, trust, and have faith, then your eyes are opened, and God enables you to see.

When you trust and believe, you see Jesus in many ways. Yesterday I saw Jesus in the face of the young cashier at Ocean State Job Lot, who asked me for a donation to the Newport Food Pantry. She explained that the donation could be conveniently rung up with my purchases. And then she told me, shyly, that she volunteers at the food pantry in her spare time. I don’t know what her religious traditions are, but I know that Jesus was alive and well, working through her for the least among us. I saw Jesus in her, and I heard his mother’s words in her voice: “And the hungry will be fed with good things.” You know, this young cashier thanked me for the donation. I should have thanked her for her witness. My eyes were opened, and I was able to see.

Prayer: In this Advent season, Lord help me to pray “Come Lord Jesus, Come”, and open my eyes that I might see “God with us” in all the walks of life. Amen