07/05/2024
Two days ago we spoke of cases where prayer wasn't answered immediately, and today we will speak further on that subject through the biblical story of Jesus healing the two blind men in Capernaum. This is indeed the first example we have of Jesus healing the blind... He had been busy through the course of the day, healing, teaching, calling Matthew to follow Him, and raising the dead, but as the people continued to follow after Him we read of two blind men calling out to Him from the crowd for healing. It appears that perhaps Jesus didn't hear them, and yet they continued to follow after Him until they finally entered into the house where He was, and there, because of their faith, He restored their sight.
“And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.”
Matthew 9:27 KJV
This is another lesson in persistence (which you will recall is translated from the Greek word meaning shameless) and the faith these men demonstrated in Jesus led Him to heal them. Their healing came as the result of shamelessly following Him, and their repeated calls for His healing. This also fulfilled an old prophesy as it related to the Messiah...
“For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.”
Psalms 72:12-13 KJV
And in the book of Luke we find that the restoration of sight to the blind is certainly within God’s will and character. This makes it a portion of who Jesus is, and something His Heavenly Father desires for Him to do when He is told to give light to them that sit in darkness. We often read this passage and think of only a spiritual darkness, but it is also referring to a physical darkness (blindness) as well.
“To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:79 KJV
So as we read this story and see the results that can achieved by pressing our petition before the Lord we understand that there is value in praying repeatedly for God's intercession, and to recognize that He might even ask us to perform this task as his human intercessor, His emissary.
I have a question regarding this story… were the two blind men of sufficient faith at the beginning of the day, or did their faith grow as they followed Jesus about, hearing repeatedly of His many miracles? I guess we won't really know the answer to this question until we can ask it directly of the Lord, but it stands to reason that one's faith would definitely grow in the face of such overwhelming evidence of His power.
When we pray day after day to experience miracles in our own lives, and the lives of others who we pray for, we aren't necessarily praying continuously from the same spiritual place each time. As time goes by it is our hope and prayer that we increase in faith just as we have postulated that the blind men's faith may have increased. As we hear accounts of the answered prayers of others it bolsters our own faith. Our fervency in prayer also increases as we perceive that our situation is becoming more dire.
Pray on... Let’s adjust our petition to fall more perfectly within the will of God, let our faith continue to grow, and pray more fervently from our hearts and souls. With each passing moment on your knees, let’s pray that our holiness will grow.
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 ESV
If we have unanswered prayers this morning I suggest that we shamelessly bring them before the Lord again. Let’s take heart, and believe that He hears us and will answer, and let’s have patience as God perfects us in preparation for His response. As we pray, we should let our faith gorge itself on the manna of the answered prayers surrounding us... Let our faith grow strong through the nutrition that this steady diet of prayer and witness provides. This morning let’s follow Jesus into the house in Capernaum like the blind men did, and bolstered by our strengthened faith, let’s shamelessly humble ourselves in preparation for His healing touch. Are we ready to see?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for strengthening my faith as I pray, and for encouraging others through the miracles that are manifest through repetitive requests we make of you. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who is obedient to your will, and for the blind men who had enough faith to follow Him asking repeatedly that He might heal them. Help us Lord to have such faith, and to be equally persistent in it as we pray. Open our eyes so that we can see the amazing sight of faith that surround us. Let your light penetrate the darkness we are wandering in, and change the blacks and greys of our doubt into brilliant colors as we pray fervently in strength and faith for you to move. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God of answered prayer. Holy are you who hears our prayers, even before we can voice them, and begins to change us through them. Praised be your name for the faith, and the belief, we receive during the hours spent on our knees. Praised be your name for taking the glimpses of your character and personality that we now see dimly, and showing them to us clearly as we ask time and again for you to perfect our vision, and whisper to us as we pray. Help us to soar on the wings of eagles where once we were once only sparrows, and to roar as lions where we used to freeze in fear like timid rabbits. Guide us as we blindly stumble behind you and follow after Jesus, and then mercifully heal our eyesight so that we can then run without falling, like antelope… fleet of foot, and without tiring. You are worthy Father of all praise and glory for every miracle, answered prayer, and lesson you teach us in these. You are the Rabbi of Rabbis, and the God above all gods… you are our encourager, healer, provider, and worthy of every prayer whether repeated, or answered before we have had the opportunity to speak it. Hear us today, and answer us according to your will Abba, and do so in accordance with your spiritual plan for us. Merciful are you, and amazing your grace that fills our places of prayer as we come there and hear you ask “What are you doing here?” as we stand before you with our desires extended in open hands.
Amen!
Rich Forbes