September 13 I Tuesday
Proverbs 16-18
2 Corinthians 6
“Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’ But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region.” —Matthew 9:30-31
Two blind men went up to Jesus asking Him for mercy and healing. Acknowledging their faith, Jesus healed these men, but He gave them a stern warning not to tell anyone about what had happened. These men, however, completely disregarded Jesus’s instruction and went around telling everyone what Jesus had done. We may argue that we cannot fault these men. They were probably excited after their vision was restored and people were asking them how did this happen? It could also be possible that these men found it hard to suppress their news or they thought that Jesus did not really mean for them not to tell anyone about what happened.
Regardless of the reason behind the blind men’s disobedience, it begs this question: Why did Jesus extend mercy and deliverance to these men when He knows the hearts of mankind? He knew that these men were going to run out and do the exact opposite of what He sternly warned them not to do, so why did Jesus do this?
We find the answer in Jesus’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount where He describes the love of God and says to His disciples, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44-45). Additionally, John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Although the world was in active rebellion towards God’s commands, God gave His One and only Son. Despite the world’s sins, transgressions and iniquity, it did not stop His love from touching their lives still.
The answer to why Jesus healed the blind men is because of His love and His willingness to extend mercy to those who are seeking it. Although the blind men were healed, they were still blind. They could see physically, but spiritually, they were still blinded as they disregarded the commands of God in their life.
May we take a moment and consider about ourselves: What parts of our life today would we ask Jesus to bring into alignment with His will and His desires? The greatest gift we can give Him and the greatest gift we can give ourselves is loving obedience in response to all that He has done for us.
Prayer: Precious Jesus, thank You for Your love and mercy. I want to offer my life as a gift to You, living in loving obedience as a response to all that You have done for me. Praise You!
← Older Post Newer Post →