Matthew 9:27-38
Two Blind Men Healed
“When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
A Mute Man Speaks
As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
The Compassion of Jesus
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Theres’ something funny about the way Jesus is ministering here: he’s refusing to advertise himself and even going so far as to order those being healed not to tell anybody. Of course, the crowds are busy spreading the news about Jesus as far and as rapidly as possible, but Jesus himself is refusing to keep score. By contrast, if any of us were to do even one such miracle, we would announce it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and every WhatsApp platform going. If we have a blog, we will announce it on the blog and then do an email blast in addition. What’s the difference? “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
Jesus is seeing people as individuals with specific needs. Lamentably, we frequently categorize people-“Needs healing,” “Needs deliverance,” “Needs financial success,” “Needs a husband/wife,” etc. We even report crusades in those terms. To Jesus, the crowds appear to be scattered and wandering aimlessly, like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The long and complicated lists of religious rules have failed to help in the daily life of the people who supposed to be observing them.
Jesus also describes these people as weary. Why? These people want to experience God and have worn themselves out searching for God. But those who should be pointing the way to God are advertising themselves instead. Rather than ministering to people, these religious experts are treating people and their problems like commodities to be bought and sold.
Why does Jesus tell his disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Every little village in Israel at this time has religious leaders; however, many of these villages are also coming under Greco-Roman influence, along with a pantheon of corrupt gods. These influences are even more noticeable in the big cities, where young men may even have operations to reverse their circumcisions so that they can exercise in the nude in the gymnasium and look like everybody else.
This story highlights two sides of Jesus’ ministry. On the one hand, Jesus heals and delivers three men individually, two from blindness and one from demon possession and epilepsy. On the other, Jesus ministers to huge groups of people, preaching and teaching and healing. But whether dealing with individuals or with crowds, Jesus continues to show compassion to all who come to him. Jesus’ approach never changes; he deals with people one at a time.
What makes Jesus’ approach different? Jesus prays frequently and sometimes for long periods of time. God the Father gives Jesus insight into the problems of those coming to him. Many times, physical problems are merely a manifestation of something spiritual. Jesus is praying for the whole person, not merely for the most obvious needs such as blindness or deafness. Jesus frequently orders those who have been healed not to tell anybody. Why? Jesus wants his Heavenly Father to get the credit and not him.
As disciples, how do we minister? Do we try to make sure God gets the credit and not us, or do we become legends in our own minds, blindly thinking that we are the ones making healing and deliverance happen? God may use us because people’s needs are so urgent; however, once those needs have been met, God can move on to use someone else, leaving us wondering why miracles aren’t happening any more. May we always be careful to give God the glory!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, no matter how mightily You use us, help us to always give You the credit and the glory. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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