Throwing Off the Cloak

Before the blind man in Jericho was healed, he threw his cloak on the ground and left it there. For a beggar, that cloak was everything — warmth, income, safety. Father Aaron unpacks this powerful moment

Transcript

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Good morning, this is Northword. What if the thing holding you back from the life you want isn't a lack of opportunity? Good morning, this is Northword, the Word, the North, your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family. I'm your host, Father Aaron. When Jesus stops and calls for the blind man in Jericho, something remarkable happens. Before the man even reaches Jesus, before he is healed, before he can see a single thing, he takes off his cloak and he throws it on the ground. Now, for a blind beggar, a cloak was not just a piece of clothing, it was a mat to sit on, it was warmth at night, it was his livelihood because he spread it out to collect money from the passerbys. That cloak was, in a real sense, everything he had, and he throws it away before Jesus does anything. That is just the heart of this story, right? Because it is a picture of what it actually looks like to move towards change in your life. Not to wait until you can see clearly, not to wait until you have a guarantee, but to physically, decisively let go of the thing that has been defining your existence, even if it's been keeping you alive. Because you've decided that what's ahead is worth more. Now I want to be clear about something. The cloak is not always sin. That's the first place our minds go, but this runs wider than that. The cloak can be bitterness you've been carrying since a relationship fell apart. It can be the identity of the person who has always been the victim. The failure, the one who never quite makes it. It can be grief you never finished grieving, regret you never handed over, pain that came from things that were never even your fault. These things weigh us down just as surely as any moral failing. And letting go of them is just as hard, sometimes even harder, because they feel like they're protecting us. The cloak kept him warm. Your bitterness might feel like the only way to stay safe. But growth always requires releasing something. You cannot grab onto what's ahead with both hands if your hands are already full. What cloak are you still wearing today? This has been Northward the Word, the North, your week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family. If this resonated, share it and reach out to the Text Us Link. We'd love to hear from you. We'd love to know how we can pray for you. And until tomorrow, God be with you. In the name of Flower, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.