Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Matthew 20:30-33 NLT
I wonder how long these two blind men had been sitting by the road every day. The chances are they had been blind for a long time, perhaps their entire lifetimes. They had well learned what blind people do, and what they request. Blind people accept their fate. They were blind. Nothing to be done about it. They got the short end of the stick in life, and they must muddle and stumble along through life the best they can. Their lack of sight has defined them. They were just exactly who they are called in this account: blind men. That was their identity.
But they had heard about Jesus. They had likely dreamed about what could happen if they ever got a chance to be near Him. But they were blind. How could they find Him? However, that morning as they took their accustomed place alongside the road, the spot where they typically begged for food and money, they heard Jesus was coming that way. Jesus! The One who apparently had the power to do more than give them food or money! If what they had heard was true, Jesus could give them sight. But could that be trusted? Maybe they should just lay low, and see if He even notices them.
Their desire was too great. They couldn’t just let things happen. When they heard the Rabbi was truly on the way, they began to holler and shout for Him. It annoyed the people accustomed to them being the well-known, unobtrusive blind men who quietly begged, and they ordered them to be quiet. But the men would not. They had a mental glimpse, a heart hope of an identity change. Perhaps they could be men, not blind men. Perhaps this was their chance.
Jesus gave them that opportunity. He was attracted by their desire for Him to minister to them and so stopped to speak with them. But He didn’t jump to any conclusions. He didn’t assume what they wanted was their obvious need, He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” They had to recognize their risky desire, own it, and speak it where everyone could hear. So, they did. They wanted to see. They didn’t want to hold on to the identity that held them back in a dark, stunted life. They wanted to be who they were created to be. So, they spoke it. And He did it. They were no longer the two blind men. Their identity was forever changed.
- Jesus, help me see where I sit by the road, accepting a limited and false identity when You have created me to see, move, and thrive. I really want to see.