What's most important?

How do you decide what homework or chores to do first? Some kids hate doing the hard stuff, so they put it off until the last minute. Other kids do the tough stuff first to get it out of the way, so they can have fun.

Jesus was probably the second kind of kid. He was always asking people, "What's most important?" and then paying attention to that first. This week's Gospel (John 9:1-41) is one of those times.

Jesus saw a man begging who had been born blind. "Whose fault is it that he's blind -- his or his parents'?" Jesus' followers asked. "Neither," Jesus answered. "He is blind so others can see God's power in him." Then Jesus healed the man. People kept asking, "How did Jesus cure you?" The man told them: "Only someone from God could do this." Then he followed Jesus.

If you have math and social studies homework and you hate social studies, you might do the math first...have a snack...watch some TV...and then, when you have just enough time to do it before bed, you'll do the social studies.

That's the way lots of Jesus' followers were. They didn't want to give up their money or free time helping out people who were blind or had other problems, so instead, they blamed the blind people, saying they were sinners being punished by God.

Once you get tough homework or chores done, you feel much better! Every time, you ask yourself, "Why didn't I just do it right away?"

That was Jesus' point: Who cares why someone is blind or needs help for another reason? The important thing is that the person gets help -- and if we do that right away, everyone feels better.

The blind man learned that very well. After Jesus cured him, people kept asking how He did that. "What's more important, how He did it or that we follow Him?" the man said, and went to follow Jesus.

So should we...and maybe we should do social studies homework first, too.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me look at what's most important first! Amen.

(03-11-99)