Blind Man
Matthew 9
27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him,
crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him:
and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They
said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be
it unto you.
30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them,
saying, See [that] no man know it.
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all
that country.
We have here the story of Jesus giving sight to the blind. It is
fitting that the one who made the light shine in the darkness (John)
would bring light to the lives of the blind who came to him seeking
help.
Let's look at the story and see exactly what takes place here.
1. Son of David
They referred to Him as the Son of David. All who knew him knew his
father's name was Joseph, but those who perceived who He really was
called Him the Son of David.
It was well known by all Jews that the Messiah would come through the
lineage of David, making Him the 'son of David'.
These blind men perceived that Jesus was the Messiah. Isn't it
interesting that men who were deprived of physical sight saw into the
spiritual realm, the eyes of their understanding being enlightened,
and they discerned what was hidden from the wise and learned.
2. Have mercy
Their petition was this - "Have mercy on us."
It is interesting that they didn't say, "Heal us." Rather, they said,
"Have mercy."
It is wise for us to realize that we don't always get what we pray for
the way we want it. Sometimes God overrules our petitions, because He
has another, better plan.
The attitude here is, whether he heals us or not, his mercy will be
enough for us."
As He said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee", when Paul asked
for a certain healing.
Joni Erickson, the paraplegic artist, singer, preacher certainly asked
for God to heal her. But God had a plan for her in a wheelchair.
If we have his mercy, essentially we have enough. We can make it
through any difficulty if we have his mercy and grace.
Now, that may not sound like a great faith message, but the church has
survived all these centuries, probably more by faith that hung on
through the bad time than by the revivals and miracles that came
occasionally. Faith is what keeps that steady pace regardless of
signs, wonders, and circumstances.
4. Have mercy ON US
Notice their concern for one another. They were not just me-centered.
They sought God together; they interceded for one another. Fellow
sufferers should always be joint petitioners.
5. They followed Him
In this instance, Jesus did not seek them out, as He did with the man
at the pool of Bethesda. They sought Him out. They heard of His
coming, found a way to get to Him, and followed him. In fact, they
followed Him all the way home and into his house.
This is one of the keys to getting your needs met by the Lord. We are
taught throughout the Word to continually seek Him - to ask and keep
on asking - to knock at the door till someone answers.
(The story of the friend who came at midnight and the woman who
pestered the judge are good examples.)
These men would not be denied.
5. The faith question
Then Jesus asked them a question which we would think would be obvious.
He said, "Do you believe I am able to do this?"
Of course, He knew what they really wanted. Though they had asked for
mercy, what they really desired was for him to restore their sight.
They just wanted to see. They wanted healing.
They wanted it so badly they had followed him home asking. But what
sometimes seems obvious is not always the fact. Some followed Him
skeptically. Jesus wanted to see real faith reaching out. So, He
asked them.
We must be fully assured that He can do for us what we ask Him to do.
Often we will ask for things not really believing in our hearts that
He can or will do them. That is a lack of faith. We must truly
believe - nothing doubting.
These men believed in His mercy - that's what they asked for. But He
wanted to know if they believed in His power to heal. He wanted to
know if they knew that He was not just the Son of David, but the Son
of God.
6. We may also note here that it is good to be specific when we ask
the Lord for anything. Not that we should try to dictate how and when
and every detail of the answer, but we should be specific enough that
it is clear in our own minds what we want.
(It's not a question of God knowing. He knows our minds better than
we do.)
If we really believe in his power, we will commit ourselves to that
power. We will ask and expect the answer to be in the affirmative,
because we are committed to His promises.
7. He touched their eyes.
He did so to encourage their faith. Since they could not see, they
depended much on feeling.
But it was not the touch that healed them. Jesus need not touch
anyone to heal them. We must beware of patterns. Jesus did it
differently almost every time.
He proved in the example with the Roman Centurion that He only need
speak the word and it will be done. It is His authority that heals. Nothing else.
8. According to your faith.
Jesus said to them, "According to your faith be it done unto you."
That is, "I know you believe. You followed me; you confessed who I am;
you made your request; you said you believed; so , it will be done for
you."
He didn't rub it in their faces as some do, "You'll only get as much
as you believe for", but He simply affirmed them. They believed, and
their request was being granted.
8. Tell no one.
Why did Jesus want to keep it quiet?
Theories abound - but two are most likely.
He knew the Jews were after him and he was keeping a low profile. It
wasn't time for Him to die yet.
He was teaching us that it is not good to bring attention to self, but
to glorify God. Too often we want to make sure everybody know the
good works we have done. Jesus exemplifies the character here that it
is better to do your good works in secret and let God praise and
reward you.
Some has said that "Honor is like a shadow. It flees from those who
pursue it, and it follows those who flee from it."
Conclusion:
What can we learn from these blind men?
They knew where to go to get their need met.
They recognized that Jesus was not just some miracle worker, but was,
in fact, the Messiah.
They put their faith fully in Him.
They desired a specific result, but were prepared to accept what He
gave.
They relentlessly pursued Him.
They received as they believed, because they believed.
What do you need from God?
Do you believed He can do it.
Do you believe He will do it?
What if the answer doesn't come immediately or the way you thought it
would?
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