Healing Mercy – Matthew 20:29-34

“Although we have no claim on God’s mercies, and although they are altogether undeserved, nonetheless they never cease. We have done much to provoke God and give Him cause to cut off His mercy in our behalf. We have abused His mercy, ignored His mercy, even at times ungratefully accepted His mercy. Still, while God’s mercies may not always be visible, they are always present. The mercies of God may change their form, as the morning light varies from the evening light, but the mercies of God will never cease to give their light. Even chastisement is mercy in disguise; and frequently, under the circumstances which make chastisement necessary, it proves to be more merciful than if God had not chastised us at all.” Woodrow Kroll

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34 ESV)

How badly do you want to be healed?  I’m healthy, you might say, and don’t need to be healed.  So you have no blindness at all, no paralysis, no feverish recklessness, no hindrances to speaking, no failure to hear what you need to hear?  I still need healing, still need to be all that Jesus called me to be and he is the source of healing.  But do I want it as badly as these fellows did?  Am I willing to make a spectacle of myself if need be to get Jesus to listen?  Of course, he is listening, but it is the earnestness on their part to be healed that prompts Jesus’ question and, if we are earnest, the question he is asking us, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Do you have an answer?  Jesus is full of pity for us but knows how important it is that we realize our need.  Then, as he heals us, we recover what we need in order to more faithfully follow him.