Psalm 146 echoes Isaiah in the need for justice: feed the hungry, free prisoners, give sight to the blind, raises up those who are bowed down, helping the vulnerable such as the orphan and the widow.
Jesus also tells John's disciples to report back to John what they had seen, and what they had seen includes the above as well as the poor having the Good News proclaimed to them.
Justice is the foundation of the law of God and the teaching of Jesus.
This passage also reminds us that human leaders, no matter how good they are cannot save us. It tells us that all leaders are the same as we are – human beings who live and die as we do. It is only God who can save us, and has saved us through the sacrifice of Jesus. If we place our trust in God, we will find peace and happiness.
While we cannot give physical sight to the blind or heal the lame, we can work to give justice to the poor and the vulnerable. We also can proclaim the good news to anyone who will listen, and that could help open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Sometimes, physical limitations are less of an impediment to true happiness than spiritual ones.
When we work for justice, we can take away barriers that keep the disabled from enjoying access to those things that make our lives enjoyable. After all a wheelchair cannot climb stairs!
Efforts to bring about a living wage, access to health care and education, safe housing and clean water are causes that we can get behind and support. In these ways we can help the blind to see and the lame to get around. They will also help the orphaned and the widow to lead good lives.
God is depending on us.
