A WORD FOR TODAY, July 9, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, July 9, 2024
“As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!’ The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!’ Jesus stood still and called them, and asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They told him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.” Matthew 20:29-34, WEB
Jesus did many miraculous things. He healed people. He brought the dead back to life. He cast out demons. He made the lame walk, the deaf hear and the blind see. The Gospels are filled with stories of the way Jesus changed people’s lives. Today’s story is just one of many that help us see that Jesus was indeed the One, to see that Jesus really did have authority over life and death and all of creation.
I think what strikes me most in today’s story is the response of the crowd to the cries of the two blind men. Why would they rebuke the men for asking Jesus for help? Why would they stop Jesus from performing yet another miraculous healing? After all, it seemed as though the people following Jesus wanted a show. They believed because Jesus was doing these great things.
That was the problem. They believed in the miracles, but not in Jesus. Matthew reported that Jesus described Himself as “the Son of Man,” identifying with the people He came to serve. In this story, though, the blind men cried out to Jesus as “the Son of David.” This was a Messianic term; suggesting that Jesus was the One for whom they were waiting. The men cried out to Jesus as King, but the Jews were not willing to accept that He was the Messiah. They wanted someone they could control. They wanted Jesus to do their bidding. A messiah would wreak havoc on their world, bringing the hand of the Romans down on them.
They wanted to be free of Rome. They wanted to be a sovereign nation with their own king again, but they were afraid. They didn’t want their world to be thrown into chaos. They never understood what it meant for Jesus to be King or the Son of David. His purpose was something greater, eternal. In the passage before this story, Jesus said, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He came to redeem us, to be a sacrifice for our sin.
So, while the people were rebuking the blind men for speaking the words they were afraid to hear, Jesus showed them what it meant for Him to be the Son of David. He would never sit on an earthly throne and defeat the Romans in Israel. He came to serve us. Jesus listened to the blind men. Despite the rebuke of the crowd, Jesus heard their plea and responded with compassion. He healed them to show the people what it meant for Him to be the Messiah, a humble servant doing God’s work in the world.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org