Search
Search

On the Difference Between the Miracles and THE MIRACLE

June 9, 2016

Matthew 9:27-31

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

CONSIDER THIS

Today we “see” another scene of desperation. Two blind men are crying out to Jesus for mercy. The text tells us they “followed him.” Did you catch that? Here we have men who cannot see yet they seem to be seeing much better than many of the people who could actually see. In other words, they know who they are crying out to and following.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

These men aren’t just trying to get noticed by the latest miracle worker to come through town. The blind men, unlike most everyone else around them—including Jesus’ closest disciples—are crying out to the Messiah, “Son of David!” Their faith anchors in who Jesus is and not just in what he can do for them.

It’s worth noting we are still miles and perhaps months away from Peter’s famous confession of Jesus as the Messiah. There’s a bigger miracle afoot here than the giving of physical sight to the blind men. It’s precisely this—the blind men already “saw” Jesus more clearly than anyone else around that day.

Salvation is not first about what Jesus can do for us. It begins with who Jesus is to us. This simply cannot be over-stressed. Do we see Jesus primarily as a solution to our problems? If so, that’s how we will relate to him. I think Jesus is looking for people who possess the humble capacity to “see” him as the person of God. I think this is why Jesus told them to keep quiet about the healing. Sometimes the miracles can actually blind us to THE MIRACLE. And what is THE MIRACLE? As important as what Jesus can do for us is, THE MIRACLE is who Jesus is to us. He is the GOD who is WITH US—RIGHT NOW. Discipleship is all about growing in our capacity to perceive and embrace his very real yet unseen presence with us right now; nearer even than our breath. That’s THE ULTIMATE MIRACLE from which any other miracles may ultimately come.

Daily Text MATTHEW 06-09-16

THE QUESTIONS

1. How many times has someone done something for you and you said thank you and moved on? It just was not about the relationship. How about with God?

2. How much do you see people for what they can do for you before (or even instead of) who they actually are to you?

3. What if the greatest thing you can actually do “for” another person is to become a new kind of person in relationship to them? Reflect on that.

—————-

Subscribe to receive the Daily Text email.

Join the Daily Text Fasting Challenge here. Whenever you sign up, it will begin the following Tuesday.

J.D. Walt, is a Bond Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. jd.walt@seedbed.com.

Share today's Wake-Up Call!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *