“They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ And Jesus . . . touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.” Matthew 20:33-34 (ESV)
What is my perspective these recent days? Am I living with a sense of contentment and gratitude or am I stuck in a negative pattern of thinking and have lost my sense of direction. God wants me to recover my vision. But it will only happen with prayer.
Am I into a habit, hurt, or hang-up, and I can’t see my way out of it. Maybe it’s an unhealthy work habit, a bad attitude, or a way of living. No matter what it is, with prayer, I can recover my vision and see things I’ve never seen before.
There’s a story in the Bible about two blind men who recovered their sight when they prayed. The Bible says, “And when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’” (Matthew 20:30 ESV). This was a passionate prayer.
But the crowd told the blind men to be silent. Yet they prayed even louder, and Jesus stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32 ESV). I love that. Jesus let them set the agenda. And he’ll let me do the same. He wants me to tell him what I need. And any time I tell Jesus something, I'm praying.
Then they answered, “‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ And Jesus . . . touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him” (Matthew 20:33-34 ESV).
Doesn’t that sound like a good pattern? Pray, recover, and follow Jesus. When I start looking at life from God’s viewpoint, I'll see things I've never seen before. I'll see my spouse, friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers as valuable, acceptable, and forgivable. I'll also see those things about myself. My entire perspective changes.
The Bible says in Mark 6:34, “When Jesus . . . saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (NIV). That’s the way Jesus sees people—with compassion. And he wants to recover my compassion for myself, my loved ones, my community, my country, and the rest of the world.
Today I will ask God to restore my vision so that I can follow him and see people the way Jesus does.
In summary:
Two blind men demonstrate unwavering faith by persistently calling out to Jesus for mercy, despite the crowd's attempts to silence them. Their heartfelt plea, "Lord, let our eyes be opened," moves Jesus to compassion, leading Him to restore their sight immediately. This narrative underscores the power of earnest prayer and the readiness of Jesus to respond to those who seek Him with sincerity.
Similarly, in Mark 6:34, Jesus observes a large crowd and is deeply moved by their plight, recognizing them as "sheep without a shepherd." His compassion compels Him to teach them many things, addressing their spiritual needs. These passages collectively highlight the importance of approaching Jesus with genuine faith and the transformative impact of His compassionate response, guiding believers to view others through a lens of empathy and understanding.
Approach Jesus with Persistent Faith: The blind men did not let the crowd's discouragement deter them; they persistently called out to Jesus for mercy. In your own life, don't be discouraged by obstacles or opposition when seeking Jesus' help. Approach Him with unwavering faith and persistence.
This encourages me to be specific in my prayers, to trust in Jesus' compassion and power, to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and to see others through Jesus' eyes.
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