I AM ABLE (WORDS)

Matt 9:27-34

27. And when Jesus passed on from there, two blind ones followed Him, crying and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us.

28.  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.

29.  Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith let it be to you.

30.  And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See, let no one know.

31.  But going out, they made Him known in all that land.

32.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man, who had been demon-possessed.

33.  And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb one spoke. And multitudes marveled, saying, Never was it seen like this in Israel!

34.  But the Pharisees said, He throws out demons by the ruler of the demons.

Is it true that the blind develop their other senses to a greater degree than the rest of us?  Perhaps.  This little story shows us much about the nature of Christ.  One wonders just how much they perceived of this.

·         They begin by calling him "Son of David."  It is a favourite title for the long expected Messiah.  This they must have heard.

·         When confronted with the choice, they call him Lord. 

·         Note the phrase:  “I am able. “His Lordship is acknowledged not as messenger but as Messiah.  He does these miracles of Himself, in imitation of the Father.

Jesus has performed several miracles immediately before this.  Here he brings in a new note:  He explicitly challenges their faith.  It is sometimes supposed that God cannot work without our faith.  This is not the case.  He constrains himself in this way so that we might see the virtue of faith.

One curious phrasing does happen here.  If you will notice, the men begin begging his mercy on the road, but it is not until he enters a house that he turns his attention to them.  Why?

·         First, there is the question of having his fame spread too early in his ministry.  By doing this privately, and telling them not to talk about it, he minimizes the premature spread of his fame.

·         Also, he wants them to demonstrate their faith.  If you want to know if faith is genuine, it is best not to ask in front of a crowd of religious people.  There may be peer pressure.

·         Of importance to us personally is the example of humility this sets.  Jesus does not trumpet his good works to the world.  Instead, he does them quietly.  We should follow this example as well, doing our good works as discreetly as possible.

You will note that Jesus sternly warns them not to talk.  This is fitting with his humility.   It is also futile.  It seems that nowhere in his ministry does anyone obey this instruction!  It's easy to see why.  Good news is hard to keep quiet.

We are told to be silent about our good works.  Jesus tells us that every secret thing will ultimately be revealed, and here is an example.  It seems that added to the reward of God the Father will be the witness of those we have helped.

God Bless!!!