The disciples don't understand a word that Jesus just said! It is kept hidden from them and they don't get it. One more time before Lent arrives, we hear that the Lord's way of doing things is nothing at all like our way of doing things. Our way of doing things is to put Jesus on a big white charger, dress him up with armor and weapons and go parading into Jerusalem to give the Romans and unbelieving Jews the “what for!” Our way is to have the Son of God blasting away bad guys in glory and power and majesty and might. Our way is for Jesus to come along and do things our way. Those all sound great, but none of those ways saves sinners. Jesus goes to Jerusalem His way. The way of salvation. The way of fulfilling the Prophets. The way of being handed over to the Gentiles. The way of being mocked and abused and spit upon. The way of being scourged by razor-tipped whips and then killed on a cross. The way of rising from the dead the third day. No wonder the disciples don't get it. It's nothing they could have thought of. It's the Lord saving us in no way we could ever have imagined. Like a man who pays everyone the same no matter how long they work or a farmer who scatters seed like it's his to waste, so the Father sends the Son to die for sinners. To suffer and die in your place.


What amazes me is that Jesus' apostles were with Him, being taught for THREE years and they still had no idea what He was talking about. True, it was hidden from them. After Jesus' resurrection and Pentecost then they knew and preached and died for that Good News. But still. Three years? And they didn't understand a word he said? Where does that leave us? Do you understand what Jesus is all about? Why He came? What He came to do? It's a good thing we understand it all so much better than they did! So we think. We did the Catechism thing. We come to church. We hear about Jesus dying for our sins week after week after week. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Same old stuff. But do we GET it? Brothers and sisters in Christ, if you think for a moment that you somehow have it better off than the men who spent three years with Jesus Himself, that you know more than they did, that you understand, that you get it, then repent! Repent because we don't get it. We don't give a second thought to the fact that the Son of God took on flesh just so He could be killed for OUR sins. We'd rather do like the disciples did. Jesus tells them that He is going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. They don't get it so they decide to argue about who is greater. That's us! We have put into our ears the Good News that Jesus goes to Jerusalem to die for our sins. But is that our treasure? Our joy? Our gladness? No. We'd rather grumble about our circumstances and gripe about other people and complain that the world is a mess because people can't be more like me! Yep. Paying no attention to the word of God which teaches us that Jesus suffers for us—we're definitely His disciples!

But you know who gets it? You know who teaches us faith? A blind beggar on the side of the road! Here's a guy who, when he hears that Jesus is coming, won't shut up until he can get the Lord's attention. Even when the crowds try to hush him up, he just yells louder. And what does he cry out? “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!” Here's a guy who is blind. He is a beggar. He's got nothing going for him in all the world. He's not one of Jesus' long-time students like the apostles. He's not been taught like they have. He certainly hasn't seen what they've seen. But He knows. He knows that this Jesus is his only hope. His only salvation. All that this poor blind man has in all the world is Jesus. That's our faith, dear Christians, that all we have in the world is Jesus. All we have is the prayer that we cry out that the Lord would be merciful. And Jesus stops. And He gets the blind man over to Him. And He hears the blind man's confession: “Lord, that I may see!” And then Jesus speaks His Word and the man is healed and can see. There's our faith, dear Christians, that we come before Jesus and acknowledge our sins and beg His mercy. And Jesus' answer? His Word. Baptism. His Absolution. His Supper. His Word that forgives your sins and opens your eyes.


That is repentance and faith, dear Christians, to recognize that we need Jesus and that only His Word will save us. Such a faith ignores the world telling it to shut up. Such a faith confesses that it cannot see and do anything for itself. Such a faith cries out for Jesus' mercy and clings to Him for help and salvation. And such a faith is only possible where Jesus and His Word are given. But once again we see the difference between ourselves and the Lord. The crowd just wants the blind man to be quiet so they can parade around Jesus. But Jesus comes to the blind man to save Him. This should teach, brothers and sisters in Christ, what is most important to our Lord: not us impressing Him with our parades for Him. But rather, what is most important to our Lord is His speaking His Word into our ears to save us from our sins and opening the eyes of faith to see and trust in Him alone. Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why, above all things in your life—above your job and home and money and toys and grumbles and problems—above them all is Jesus. When these things surround you, hem you in, tell you to keep quiet, then cry out all the louder! “Jesus, have mercy on me!” When the crowds of this world and the devil and your sinful flesh tell you to shut up, then cry all the louder: “Lord, have mercy on me! Remind me of my baptism. Absolve me of my sins. Feed me with Your body and blood.” And He will. He would stop a parade of people all hopping excited to see Him, just to turn and save you, sinner. And He does. Right here with His gifts. He saves you. He opens your eyes, the eyes of faith, to see Him, your Savior.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the holy season of Lent is upon us. Now is the time for leaving behind ourselves and our notions and our doings and to put our eyes and ears upon Jesus. To watch Him as He goes to Jerusalem to suffer and die for us. To go the way of death to give us life. To go the way of suffering to restore us to the Father. That is not man's way. It is not the world's way. Their way is to shove themselves to the front of the crowd and act excited and religious and holy and pious and then not soon after kill the Son of God. But we know that our sins have killed Jesus. He took them upon Himself so that they would not be our death. Now we follow Jesus through the 40 days of Lent to Calvary and to resurrection. With those who were paid what they did not earn or deserve, with those who receive the word in hearts made good and noble by the Lord, and with this blind man who received His sight, we follow Jesus, giving praise to the Father for what He has done for us in His Son. Amen.