Open Our Eyes

Matthew 20:29-33

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. There were two blind men sitting by the road.  When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”  Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes!” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.

In this passage, we find two desperate, blind men calling out to Jesus. The crowd was obviously embarrassed by them and tried to quiet them. Everyone wanted to see Jesus and, perhaps, catch His attention. These two men, however, didn’t care what the crowd thought. They were desperate enough to keep crying out because He was their only hope. The crowd certainly couldn’t help them, so why listen to them?

First, these men realized that Jesus could help them. They didn’t depend upon the crowd or upon the religious leaders. Undoubtedly, they had already witnessed the fact that neither had the power to do anything about their blindness, so they cried out to the One they heard had real power. In our own lives, we cannot look to the church, other people, or even strong religious leaders to heal our desperate situations. True healing comes from God, and we must cry out to Him. We cannot hold others responsible for power they don’t have. We have to look to the One who has real power to change our lives.

When Jesus asked what they wanted Him to do for them, they asked for sight. They wanted their eyes open so they could see. It is very important that we tell Jesus exactly what we want Him to do for us. To just say, “Help me, Lord,” implies many things. They asked specifically for what they did not have but greatly desired.  By telling Jesus what they wanted, they exercised faith that He could do it. They dared ask Him for what no one else could do in their lives. They dared ask Him for what they did not deserve.  They dared ask Him for something so big it would be considered a miracle. Great things happen in our lives only when we dare to ask for them and believe God will do it!

Notice that they acknowledged Jesus as “Son of David.” By doing so, they admitted they believed He was the Messiah, as was promised by the prophets to be a Son of David. They realized that the law could not heal them. Only the Messiah would have the power to forgive their sins and give them sight again.  Under the law, they would forever be blind as a form of punishment for their sins. They realized they needed mercy. 

Jesus was moved with compassion and gave them exactly what they wanted. He saw their faith and their need expressed in one bold plea for mercy. He granted their request immediately, and they followed Him. They did not go back to their old way of life. Now that they could see, they desired to follow and learn from the One who had the power to change their lives.

What do you want Jesus to do for you today? If He did that very thing for you, would you forsake all and follow Him, or are you contented to live with a little darkness to follow your own agenda? How desperate are you for a touch from God? Are you desperate enough to cry out and ask for it, regardless of what others may think? Total victory comes when our eyes are open to the truth. Dare to ask God to open your eyes, and follow where He leads.

Have a blessed day!