Showing posts with label Matthew 20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew 20. Show all posts

October 21, 2021

Praying for Mercy, Praying to See

 

When two blind men approached Jesus for healing, the people around Him criticized them and tried to shoo them away. Despite this ill treatment by others, the men kept calling out to the Lord – not for sight but for mercy. 

No wonder! If the reaction of the crowd was typical of the way these men were usually treated, their suffering and rejection by others might have felt worse than their blindness.

 

Reading the story in the King James Version below, Jesus’ response seems odd and unexpected. i.e., He doesn’t go to the blind men. He stands still and calls them to Him.

 

Jesus calls and gives us the choice to follow.

 

Although obvious to everyone, Jesus did not presume the men wanted to see. Remember? They had prayed only for mercy. So the Lord called them to Him. The Lord waited for them. Then Jesus asked them what they wanted to ask Him.

 

Matthew 20:30-33

from the King James Version

 

And, behold, two blind men

sitting by the way side,

when they heard

that Jesus passed by,

cried out, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And the multitude rebuked them,

because they should hold their peace:

but they cried the more, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And Jesus stood still, and called them,

and said,

 

What will ye

that I shall do unto you?

 

They say unto him,

Lord, that our eyes

may be opened.

 

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Sayler

 

 

Matthew 20:31b-33

paraphrased

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord Jesus,

we want to see.

 

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations researched on Bible Gateway then paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Sayler

 

Having the Lord Himself ask us to tell Him what we want shows His compassion, grace, and mercy! And so, we ask:

 

 

Dear Lord God, help us to receive Your mercy and see more clearly in Jesus’ Name.

 

x

In the Amen of Jesus

  2 Corinthians 1:20 – “In Christ, every promise of God finds its ‘Yes!’ And also through Him is our ‘Amen!’ for the glory of God through us...