Matthew 9:27-34
27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” 30And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, “See that no one knows of this.” 31But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district. 32After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. 33And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.”
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Have you ever wanted something so bad, you would do anything to get it? To ease the pain or suffering of a loved one? To protect your child? Imagine how desperate these men must have been to get in front of Jesus. Understandably, they yelled and cried out to gain the attention of Jesus. Their livelihood depended on it.
How did these blind men know that Jesus was the Son of David? Had they heard of the prophet Isaiah’s prophecy that the Promised One would “open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf and the lame would leap like a deer?” Where did their faith come from? Was it from the stories of the other miracles Jesus had done? We do not know, but we do know they believed Jesus was the Son of David. It was their faith and confidence that Jesus was the “One” that would heal them.
Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, they did not comply with Jesus’s “stern order” to not tell anyone, they went out and spread the news about him all over the region, creating new followers but also creating more concerns for the Pharisees.
The text goes on to tell of yet another miracle that day, healing a mute, but this time Pharisees were in the crowd. Since they could not deny the magnitude of these miracles, the Pharisees quickly rejected any notion that Jesus was the Promised One by accusing Jesus of using the power of Satan to cast out the demons. A desperate move to rebuke and discredit him, while trying to change the narrative. A diversionary tactic, no doubt to diminish Jesus’s influence and try to regain crowd control.
So, what can we learn from these passages? Believe and have steadfast faith that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and that with him all things are possible. That he came to save all people. Jesus healed these men because of their faith; period! It was due to faith alone which is good news for us. We are not saved due to our actions or in proportion to our faith but by pure faith alone!
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace and steadfast love. Have mercy on us, help us to demonstrate the same trust and faith in you that was shown by these men.
—Deb Cross