TWO BLIND MICE

INTRODUCTION

[You probably have heard the nursery rhyme called, “The Three Blind Mice”.
3 blind mice,
See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails
with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such
a sight in your life,
As 3 blind mice?

People have different theories and stories about it going back to the 1600’s. Some say it refers to Queen Mary and her killing 3 Protestant Bishops or 3 Protestant martyrs, Ridley, Cramner and Latimer or it refers to 3 millers. It makes for ongoing detective work and theories.

When I was a kid I remember seeing a few Brooklyn Dodger games at Ebbets Field - and many games on TV in black and white. In those days they used 3 umpires for a game. Well, there was a group of musicians at some games called the "Sym-Phony Band." They would play the tune, "Three Blind Mice" when the umpires came on the field or made what they thought was a bad call.

This story is about 2 blind mice and I made it up for a story for today’s readings – triggered by the story of Jesus’ healing 2 blind men. I’m not sure how to come up with a good kick at the end, so this is a first draft. The readings are the readings for the 1st Friday of Advent, Isaiah 29:17-24 and Matthew 9: 27-31. So here's a story entitled, “Two Blind Mice”.]

Once upon a time there were 2 blind mice. They were so cute and so cuddly – and they lived a long, long, long life. Their names were Ray and Claire – and they celebrated many a wedding anniversary together – getting grey – but not that noticeable – because after all, grey is the color of mice.

Clare was beautiful and loving – and always gave her husband first pickings of whatever food they found. Ray was round and furry - and well fed - and always had a great smile on his face.

Their handicap, blindness, ended up being their blessing.

Why?

Well, all mice, as every one knows, stay close to the wall of every room they enter. Now that’s where the traps are. Now that’s where the cats wait. But Ray and Claire – being blind – they didn’t know where the walls were. So they just marched into every room they entered and moved about freely.

Jesus loved seeing the 2 blind mice every time they came into the carpenter shop – sniffing around – finding a crumb here and a crumb there. They loved goat cheese – a bread crumb – or a drop of wine which might have spilled or dropped on the floor. In fact, they especially loved a drop of wine around supper time - and Jesus often oblidged them. They thought of it as the miracle of the wine. It was like a happy hour if they found a drop or 2 just before looking for supper.

But Jesus, Mary and Joseph also felt sad for these 2 blind mice, because they never got to see the color of leather or cloth, the blue of sky, the birds of the air or the flowers of the field. They never got to see the white flow and flash of a goat’s white hair when it scurried or the grey and brown white of a sheep’s coat.

Well, these 2 blind mice were still there when Jesus left home – to go on his mission – of preaching good news – the good news to love one another. And Jesus forgot the 2 blind mice after he really got busy – that is, till one day he walked by 2 blind men – who called out to him, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

I don’t know if Jesus heard them – in fact, I’m surprised if he didn’t because they were shouting, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

Well, these were 2 pretty persistent blind men. They followed Jesus to his house there in Capernaum – and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

“So Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done to you according to your faith.”

And their eyes were opened.

At that Jesus’ eyes were also opened. He remembered the 2 blind mice from his childhood. He rejoiced because now these 2 blind men could see what those 2 blind mice never saw. Jesus rejoiced because they saw – and what he hoped everyone would see: each other.

He rejoiced because these 2 blind men could see the birds of the air – and all the different kinds of birds – and all the different animals and all their different colors and shades of color. He rejoiced that they could see the color and texture of bread and wine – and their families around the table. He rejoiced because they could see forests and orchards, gates and doors, synagogues and homes. He rejoiced that they could see cats and mice – feet and teeth – tears of joy and tears of sadness.

But what brought the biggest smile to Jesus’ face was that these 2 blind men no longer had to walk along the sides of rooms or houses holding onto the wall as they walked. Nope they could now come center stage – right out in the middle of everything.

He told them not to tell anyone about the healing, but they went out and broadcast it to everyone in the village and area.

This meant more work to Jesus – which he didn’t mind – most of the time. But there were times he had to escape – and hide out like a mouse somewhere, some place, where no one could find him. Amen.