June 25, 2024
“And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?” Matthew 20:32
The two blind men in this story wanted to see. Why would Jesus ask such a question? He already knew the answer. What are we to make of this story and Jesus’s question? The first thing that comes to mind is that God is waiting for us to ask Him to meet our needs. He wants to be invited into our lives and circumstances. Jesus said, ‘Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened unto you’. The first lesson is to ask, seek, and knock.
Another lesson is the importance of persistence with God. These two men could not be discouraged; they were desperate. How often are our prayers truly desperate? Many of our prayers are rote, repetitive, and casual, and are certainly not desperate. Could this be a reason why our prayers go unanswered? The second lesson is to pray desperate prayers. Your feelings will follow your mindset. Think deeply about the need or situation, then pray as if you cannot be denied.
Lastly, Jesus asks all people, especially His followers, the same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” He knows the blind men want to see, but He still asks. Why? Could it be that they have an even greater need than just physical sight? Jesus asks this to make them think beyond their immediate need for sight and consider their deeper spiritual needs. That might explain why Jesus posed this straightforward question.
We all have many needs, and the most crucial ones address our spiritual blindness. Yet, many of us are satisfied to ask for temporary things like food, shelter, clothing, and safety. We often hesitate to request the more vital needs because they might cost us something. They could transform our lives in ways we’re not prepared or willing to accept. Perhaps that is why Jesus asked this question.
We need to know God in the deepest ways possible. We need to be saved from the bondage of sin in our lives more than we need physical blessings like sight. We need a clean heart and a pure conscience more than we need 20-20 vision. We need God’s wisdom more than man’s wisdom. We need to be born again and constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. Many of us are blind to these great needs and only see temporary necessities.
Although I can see with my two eyes, I also pray that God will open my ‘blind’ eyes so I may see. I realize that it is very possible, even likely, that I am blind to my own errors, faults, and weaknesses. I might be blind to the truth, so I pray that God will open my blind spiritual eyes and deaf spiritual ears. I want to see and hear what God sees and hears. I desire to understand how God views circumstances and the times in which we live. I want to know what God thinks of me. I want to see people as God sees them, not through my flesh’s eyes. We look at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. What does God see in my heart?
What do you want Jesus Christ to do for you?
