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by Sandy Shaw
In Matthew Chapter 9 verses 27 to 42, two blind men are following Jesus, and they ask for mercy. This sounds quite similar to the incident where blind Bartimaeus is healed. There are similarities, and there are differences.
They are following Jesus and they come into the house, and Jesus asks if they believed that He was able to do this – to give them their sight? Their reply is very positive, “Yes, Lord”. They persisted in following Jesus indoors and Jesus appears to be testing these men’s faith to the full. This was not going to be a quick one-off prayer. There was that element of persistence.
Jesus touched their eyes, with a comment regarding their faith, and their eyes were opened.
How great is your need at times? What do you really need from Jesus? Is there something that only Jesus Christ can give? Is there something that you need to meet Jesus about? If that is so, you are in the right place.
They sowed a seed - they sowed a request - they sowed a prayer - and soon, there would be a harvest. Those who were blind at that time were branded as being outcasts or ‘dead’, and many were treated similarly to lepers. It was a hard life. Life was hard and harsh. Jesus Christ was the only hope for these two men if they were to escape the appalling condition in which they were living. There only hope of deliverance and escape was to be found in Jesus – what spiritual lessons for us today in the ‘soft West’.
Again, Jesus asks that they do not go out and speak about it, but Jesus, was that not almost an impossible request to give to any men who had been blind. I do not know why Jesus makes this request, other than Jesus did not just want to be known as a “healer”. Their disability must have been well known and it is right to assume that they must have been known for begging. The difference in their lives would have been most obvious.
It would have been hard to remain quiet, whereas we on the other hand find it hard to speak out!
His fame and his popularity soon spread.
They went out and soon returned bringing a dumb man, who was demonised and unable to speak.
Jesus dealt with the problem, and cast out the evil spirit and the dumb man was able to speak.
The people become quite amazed. Again, nothing is done in a corner, and there is no private ministry. Perhaps Jesus did not want popularity and publicity, but when all this going on it can hardly be avoided.
The Pharisees having observed what was going on, all over Galilee, made up their minds about Jesus, and it was a very wrong decision to which they came. There was so much unbelief at this time among the religious leaders. Even in Capernaum, His adopted home, there was not a great deal of believing faith.
Unbelief is a terrible thing.
This did not put Jesus off. Nothing would make Jesus give up.
On Jesus goes, teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and speaking about the kingdom of God, where He is king.
And Jesus goes around healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Jesus is very much a people person who is becoming increasingly misunderstood, and who is facing increasing controversy and conflict.
But note how Jesus reacted to unbelief. On He went. He left Nazareth, and now He is leaving the Capernaum area, and He went around the villages, to the more obscure country areas, leaving the then city of Capernaum.
Our task is to challenge unbelief.
He had a very simple ministry and yet very effective and fruitful and authoritative.
Jesus trusted in His Father, and relied upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit. There is a simplicity, but it is a profound simplicity. Jesus trusted His Father for everything, and later Peter and Paul were to minister and travel in a similar manner.
When Jesus saw the crowds he was moved with compassion. He saw people who were so weak in body, scattered all over the place, as sheep without a shepherd. Jesus was so interested and concerned about every part of our being.
The harvest is plenteous. Lots of sick people are seeking to be healed. They are shepherdless people, in need of a shepherd. We need labourers and shepherds to serve and lead these people.
This is the work of the kingdom. Pray that more labourers and workers and leaders and shepherds might be sent forth into his harvest. As we read on into Chapter 10 we see that Jesus did something about the situation right away.
When we come in sheer need, Jesus comes in sheer Grace and Mercy and Love and Power. Kingdom Power flowed. Kingdom sight was given. Kingdom discipleship resulted. The Kingdom of God was breaking through.
In one sense these blind men could see more than all the others put together. They had faith to see that Jesus could heal their sight, and what a harvest resulted from that prayerful seed - that prayerful request.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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