Matt 9:27-21 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And, their eyes were opened.... [King James translation] And Jesus sternly charged them, “See that no one knows it.” [Revised Standard translation.] But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. [King James translation]
Summary:
Two men who are blind make their way to JESUS. The men ask JESUS to have mercy on us (each man asking for himself and his companion). When Jesus asks them if they believe that HE is able to heal them, they say: “Yes Lord.” According to their faith, they are healed. Then JESUS then sternly instructs them, not to tell anyone. When the men leave Jesus, they spread the fame of JESUS abroad.
Seeing and Not Seeing
This story is both simple and complex. One the one hand, it seems like a very simple story. Two men who were once blind are healed by JESUS. We can easily imagine the hardship these men must have suffered. We can image their desperation as they sought out JESUS. We imagine what it must have felt like to finally encounter JESUS. We even rejoice with them, when their faith seemed to be tested and they are asked “if they believe,” and the men answer “Yes Lord,” and seemed to pass the test and are healed. We can even imagine and understand these men leaving JESUS excited, physically healed, happy and ready to start a new life. It just seems like the perfect Hollywood Bible story ending.
BUT….EXCEPT…the story is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, it is both simple and complex. When we think about it, after these men were healed, they actually failed the second test of faith. They did exactly what JESUS told them not to do. They were disobedient. They told everyone when JESUS told them to tell no one.
Some might ask: Why shouldn’t these men tell everyone? Others might even ask: Why did JESUS say what HE did? Some have speculated that:
- It wasn’t JESUS’ time;
- Or, perhaps these men had a problem with obedience in the past and JESUS was giving them another test of faith (just as HE asked the rich man to give up his possessions and follow HIM) and wanted to see if these men would obey;
- Or, perhaps JESUS knew people would continue to think of HIM only as an earthly MESSIAH who would bring good things—baskets of bread when the people were hungry; wine at parties when they were thirsty; healing of the body when there was an infirmity---instead of thinking of JESUS as the SUFFERING MESSIAH, willing to lay down HIS LIFE for humanity.
- Or, perhaps “spreading fame,” was not part of JESUS’ agenda. HE was not about earthly fame but rather about doing THE WILL of HIS FATHER.
We could probably go on and on about “the whys.” But the test of faith in JESUS is to believe and obey, even when we don’t know “the why.” It is not what we think we should do that is important but doing what JESUS tells us to do. JESUS wants us to obey.
In, John 14:23-24 JESUS says: If a man [or a woman] loves ME, he [she] will keep MY WORD. It is that simple.
Food For Thought
One writer noted that according to the Food and Drug Administration, about 30 to 50 percent of all patients ignore or otherwise compromise instructions on how to take their medications. The same writer noted that The World Health Organization estimates that only about 50 percent of patients adhere to long-term treatment for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and HIV. See, “Why you need to follow doctors’ orders,” by Walter Mead, February 28, 2012, www.health.heraldtrubine.com.
Persons taking prescription drugs are not the only ones compromising health instructions and guidelines. Each of us can ask ourselves, what percentage of time do we obey or disobey the exercise guidelines for good health or the dietary guideline regarding fruits and vegetables for good health. How often do we follow the guidelines for:
- Obtaining dental examinations;
- Obtaining routine physical examinations (e.g. high blood pressure checks, pelvic examinations, other health screenings for males and females; or
- Obtain vision examinations.
For example, Macular Degeneration is an age-related medical condition which affects older adults and results in the loss of sight. It is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans older than age 55 years.
Some foods that are considered good for sight include:
- Dark green leafy vegetables – According to the Mayo Clinic Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high concentrations in corn, green leafy vegetables such as spinach) Mayo.clinic.com
- Foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed, almonds
- Foods with antioxidants are those which are rich in vitamins A, C, E (berries, oranges, etc.).
Prevention includes:
- Avoiding cigarette smoke, stop smoking and avoid being around areas where people smoke
- Managing your other health conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes)
- Getting regular eye exams. If you are older than 40, get exams every 2-4 years. If you are older than 65, get an eye exam every 1-2
years. If you have a family history of macular degeneration (or other sight problems you may need examinations more frequently.
Mayo.clinic.com
Food For Thought And Prayer
Spiritual blindness can be more crippling and more harmful to our relationships with GOD than physical blindness.
JESUS often criticized the Pharisees for being “blind guides.” (Matt 23:16) Instead of leading people to heaven, they tried to “shut up the kingdom of heaven against men.” (Matt 23:13). In their pretext of being holy, they condemned others. They thought themselves “great,” failing to “see” that greatness does not come from being called “Master,” but rather from being called “servant.” (Matt 23:11-12). They placed importance on gold while ignoring the truly important things---justice, mercy and faith. (Matt 23:17-24). They were spiritually blind to GOD’s WORD. Thinking themselves wise, they became fools.
Unlike physical examinations, we can take a spiritual examination anytime. We can ask GOD to give us a spiritual examination and to heal any spiritual blindness anytime. We can ask HIM to help us obey HIS WILL even if we do not “see it,” with our physical eyes.
Paul said: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what GOD has prepared for those who love HIM!” (1Cor 2:9.) Perhaps NOW is the time for a spiritual eyes and ears check-up.
Remember, JESUS never condemned the blind men from not seeing; HE criticized the Pharisee for pretending to “see” when they were really spiritually blind.
Today, let us eat for physical sight and pray for spiritual insight. And, Be Blessed!
