Somebody here needs to be reminded that there are some things that only God can do. At times that can seem scary, but mostly it is comforting to remember who is really in charge.
This morning I was reading from Matthew 20:29-34…about the two blind men whom Jesus healed as he left Jericho, en route to Jerusalem and his eventual crucifixion. My personal context is that I have been in a season of feeling extreme responsibility for certain things to fall into place. If you’re like me, there are times when your head is abuzz with the internal scheming of putting things together, fitting pieces, selling ideas to colleagues, and making it all work. So, I end up reading these words:
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
As I was thinking about these two blind men, it occurred to me that there was absolutely nothing they could do about their blindness. All they could do was beg—and to articulate their need when given a chance. They couldn’t scheme, fit pieces, sell their need to a competent medical professionals, and make it all work. Their need for relief fell solidly outside of their resources. They said that they wanted to see.
The text is curious, because it says that Jesus had compassion on them. Doesn’t he always have compassion? Of course, but at this time his compassion hit the tipping point, so he decided to blow a little relief their way.
Somebody here needs to be reminded that there are just some things that only God can do. I’m praying for you that you’ll not keep your mouth shut, but that you’ll articulate your need to the only one who can do anything about it. I’m very proud of you for your faith.
That’s one cool thing about church planting. At the end of the journey you’ll see a warehouse of evidence that compassionate Jesus saw you there—even when you couldn’t yet see for yourself.
