Luke 18:35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' He called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord, I want to see,' he replied. Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Why did Jesus say the blind man was a man of faith? First, when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out "Son of David, have mercy on me!" In the Old Testament, God prophesied that a savior and king will come out from the house of David, and when He came to the world the captives will be set free, the blind will be able to see, and the oppressed will be set free. This blind man sat along the road everyday and he has heard the name of Jesus and what signs and wonders that He has performed. The blind man was eager to meet Jesus because he believed Jesus must be the savior that God had prepared, so as long as the blind man was willing he would be healed and also be delivered from the bondage of the circumstance in his soul. Therefore, he cried out because he had faith, and in the same manner we need to come before God with faith, to surpass all the limitation of rationality, so that we may experience the feast of abundant life that God has prepared for us.
Next, he was open in expressing his wish to the Lord, and he directly asked for the ability to see, no only physically but also spiritually. If Jesus asks you the same question, would you ask for money, fame, position or a wonderful family? These are not bad, but the Bible says that the world and the things of the world will come to pass. One day, these things will disappoint you, even to the point where those dearest to you might disappoint you. Do you come before God to plead for things of the world, or are you willing to say "Lord, I want to see! I want to see your love, your will in me, and the way I should be walking on! When this blind man said to the Lord "I want to see," his spiritual eye was opened by the Lord instantaneously. Therefore, the Lord said to him, "you faith has healed you." Faith always comes before blessings, so are we asking for blessings before God, or are we asking the Lord for faith so that we can experience Him?
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