True Faith Healing

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him (Matthew 20:32-34)

Why did Jesus ask the men the question, What do you want Me to do for you? Jesus is willing to answer the desires of a person’s heart if those desires are within the parameters of His will and are intended to glorify God. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:4-5).

Jesus’ question was intended to elicit a response of faith from the blind men. However, careful examination of the Gospels reveals that Jesus did not always heal a person based on his faith. Sometimes Jesus healed a person based on the faith of others, sometimes Jesus healed a person wherein no demonstration of faith was noted. He healed infants, young people, and adults, and raised the dead when no faith was expressed. While some do express faith (Matthew 9:1-7; Mark 9:14-27, etc.), healing is according to the will of the Lord (Matthew 8:1-3).

Most of us who read this story focus on the physical healing of the blind men. There was another healing that took place at that moment - spiritual healing. It is evident from the text that these 2 men expressed faith in Jesus Christ because, after the healing, they followed Him, or they worshiped God. Not everyone healed by Jesus became a follower of Jesus, but some did - the demoniac of Gadara (Mark 5:1-18), the one leper who returned to Jesus (Luke 17:11-19), etc. When Jesus healed a person, then said “Your faith has made you well,” it is an indication that the expression of faith was that of saving faith (Matthew 9:18-22).

This encounter of Jesus with the 2 blind men underscores 3 important realities of God: (1) God is compassionate toward those who are in need of help. That compassion is the physical expression of His love for us. (2) While God is willing to address our physical needs, His interest goes far deeper to our greatest need, and that is to know Him as our personal Lord and Savior. (3) Often His healing was symbolic. In opening the physical eyes of the blind men, Jesus underscored the need for our spiritual eyes to be opened to the truth of our greater spiritual need - that of fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Lord Jesus, the more I study Your Word, the more I am amazed and appreciative of its depth of knowledge and understanding. It truly is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thank You for this story of Your encounter with the blind men and what it really teaches about us and Your compassion toward us. Thank You for Your salvation that heals us completely. May Your name be praised forever, Amen.”

Pastor