At the end of Matthew chapter twenty, there are a couple of blind men who Matthew tells us in vs 30,
…cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
I think it’s too easy to quickly pass over a story like this. We reason that, yes, they cried out for Jesus to help them, but wouldn’t anybody who was blind do the same?
Ah! That’s the question. Sure they had a great need, but does everyone that recognizes they have a great need cry out to Jesus? The obvious answer is, no, they do not.
But these men did. Our English language robs us of what this actually looked like. When it says they “cried out” it means they were continually crying out. Not a one-time cry, but a continuous one.
And the Greek word for “cried out” is krazo, a very strong verb meaning “to scream.”
We know that it must have been terribly obnoxious because the next verse says,
31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
The crowd tried to get these desperate men to put a sock in it. It was obnoxious. It was undignified. It was desperate. It was embarrassing. It was just what the Lord appreciated.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the Lord appreciates obnoxiousness; I’m saying that the Lord appreciates it when people are willing to go to desperate measures to get close to Him.
Their desperate plan worked and a couple verses later we’re told,
34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Do you recognize that you have a great need? What are you willing to do to get closer to Jesus? Would you be undignified? Would you be embarrassed? Or do you care too much about what other people would think?
Be bold for Jesus.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
