The Gospel according to Mathew (9:27-31)
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
Opening Prayer: Christ, be my light. Open my eyes to see you when I am blind and open my ears to hear your word when I am deaf to the truth. Help me to hear and see clearly by walking in your light. Guide me out of darkness and into the light.
Encountering Christ: This statement from Jesus is directed to two blind men who come to Him, beg for mercy and healing, believe in faith that Jesus will heal, and then are healed. But what’s quite fascinating is that Jesus tells them not to speak about their healing to others. Why would He say this?
First of all, the request of Jesus would have been impossible to follow. Everyone who knew these blind men would have known they were blind. And then, out of the blue, they could see. How could such a thing be contained?
Jesus most certainly knew that they could not contain such a miracle but, nonetheless, spoke these words to these men. To understand why Jesus said this we must understand the motive He had for healing them.
Jesus’ healing of these men was done purely out of love for them. They cried out for mercy and Jesus wanted to offer mercy. He did not do it as a way of gaining public praise or notoriety. He did it out of love for these blind men.
He also did this miracle to teach that He can heal the blindness of our hearts. He wanted these men to come to faith in Him and “see” Him for who He was. Therefore, this miracle was something deeply personal and was done out of concern for these two men to strengthen their faith.
What’s interesting to note, however, is that these men could not contain the joy they had at receiving this gift from our Lord. They had to cry out in gratitude and share their story. We can be certain that Jesus was not offended at this but saw it as a necessary result of their faith.
How about you? Do you see God at work in your life and then seek to spread the joy of His work in your life? Do you regularly witness to His action and healing? Do you seek to allow others to see all that God has done for you?
Closing Prayer: Jesus, you are my Way, my Truth, and my Light (John 14:6). You are my light and my salvation. I know that I do not need to be afraid, angry, or overcome with sadness (cf. Psalm 27:1). I am sorry for the times when I have hidden the darkness in my heart from you and not allowed you to heal and overcome it. I thank you for all the times when you have been victorious over the darkness both inside and around me. Help me to hold up your light whenever I encounter the darkness.
Action of the Day: Reflect, today, upon the joy in the hearts of these blind men at their healing. And ponder your own joy at God’s activity in your life. If your joy is not overflowing, perhaps it’s a good day to ask the Lord, with a deep faith, to help you see!
Lord, today by your grace I will light a candle, either at my church or at home, and I will ask you to dispel the darkness in my heart and in the hearts of my loved ones.
