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Psalm 72:1-8
Isaiah 11:1-10
Luke 10:21-24

A common thread: giving sight to the blind, and blinding the sighted.

May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
      give deliverance to the needy,
      and crush the oppressor.

Psalm 72:4

So, this is just a typical power reversal. Or is it?

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
      or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
      and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

Isaiah 11:3b-4a

God's judgments are not of this world.

Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.'

Luke 10:23-24

Luke 10 is a pretty complicated chapter. You got your snake handling treading and the Good Samaritan all in one untidy bunch.

Here in the middle, you have Jesus rejoicing "in the Holy Spirit", but not really crediting it with the opening of eyes. Jesus credits himself with opening our eyes to the Father. But maybe he does that through the Spirit?

When the Spirit comes upon Mary she sings the Magnificat. When Jesus rejoices in it, He says: "no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Luke 10:22)

When we are given sight by the Son, we see the Father.

I'm not trying to draw any hard and fast conclusions here, because this text has shrouded itself in mystery. It's interesting that doses of the Spirit result in power reversal, but knowledge reversal is also at play here. And there's a lot that has to remain unknown: unreversed.

I Corinthians 1:18-2:16 has some parallels here.

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
      and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

Isaiah 29:14 quoted in I Corinthians 1:19

God's knowledge is unknowable for us. And in this way, our Advent waiting is extended until we are united with God.

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
      nor human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him"

unknown source quoted in I Corinthians 2:9

And said a different way:

"For who has known the mind of the Lord
      so as to instruct him?"

Isaiah 40:13 quoted in I Corinthians 2:16

I don't think we're supposed to be teaching the Lord. He should be teaching us blind folk.

We can only be given so much sight in our blinded state.

Labels: Advent 2006