The lectionary (book of readings) is designed to expose us to the Bible in all its variety. However, we miss something if we just read the Bible in the small passages provided for each day. Some of the authors of the books in the Bible have constructed the text to provide context for the incidents. For example, St. Mark has created a “sandwich” about seeing correctly in chapter 8. In the passage yesterday Jesus fussed with the disciples for ‘having eyes but failing to see.” Tomorrow tells the story of Peter’s confession where he sees Jesus’ identity as the “Messiah.” In between those two passages there is a healing miracle related to sight. Jesus enables the blind to see. What is most interesting in the passage is that coming to sight is gradual, a multi-step process. Jesus laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly. The disciples, and that includes us, don’t see who Jesus is for us all at once but come to it over time as we grow in the faith.
