Matthew 20:29-34

Matthew 20:29-34

And while they went out from Jericho, a great crowd followed Him.  And behold!  While two blind men were sitting beside the road after hearing that Jesus passes by, they cried out while saying, “Show mercy to us, Lord, Son of David!”  And the crowd rebuked them in order that they should be silent.  But they cried out to a greater degree while saying, “Show mercy upon us, Lord, Son of David.”  And after Jesus stood still, He summoned them and said, “What do you desire I should do for you?”  They say to Him, “Lord, in order that our eyes should be opened.”  And after Jesus felt deep compassion, He touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s talk about these men.  They demonstrate an incredible faith here.  They are blind.  That makes them people on the fringe of society.  No doubt they were accused of having some horrible sin in their life because they’d been cursed with blindness.  When they call out to Jesus, the crowd rebukes them to shut them up.  Everything in society was working against them, but they cried out to a great degree.  They got Jesus’ attention.  They knew that the best thing in their life was upon them and they reached for it.  They couldn’t save themselves – or regain their eyesight themselves.  But they could reach out for God’s grace and seize it when it was offered.  That’s exactly what they do in this passage.  They reach out for God, knowing that He is already reaching out for us.  What a great example for us to follow!

Do you reach out for God?  Do you seize the grace that He is already extending?  Do you look for ways to get God’s attention and allow Him to work in your life?

Second Thought:

After Jesus stops, He works.  He doesn’t listen to the crowd, just like the blind men didn’t listen to the crowd, either.  He stops and asks the men what they want.  Notice that they appear a bit selfish in their request.  They want to see.  But Jesus doesn’t allow that to hinder His work.  He heals their eyesight.  He cures their blindness.  Had the crowd gotten their way, they would have missed the miracle.  But Jesus takes advantage of the opportunity and puts God’s grace on display.

When has Jesus answered prayer in your life?  Have you made requests that are a bit selfish but Jesus works in your life anyway?  What does this show us about the character of God?

Third Thought:

Now let’s return to the men.  Their eyesight is restored.  If we examine their response, we can see that they follow Jesus.  They get up from their mats and follow.  What a great ending to a great story.  They could have stayed in their hometown.  No doubt they could have stayed among the crowd and experienced their fifteen minutes of fame.  But instead they choose to follow Jesus.  They choose to let Jesus be the center of their life and let His work take precedence over their own reputation.  They are born followers.

Do you follow Jesus or do you get what you want and then look for the fame and the glory around you?  Are you willing to be a follower and let Jesus be the center of your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 21:1-6