The Messiah's. Secret - Jesus Heals the Two Blind Men
Evening Lectionary: Lamentations 3: 19 - 33. Matthew 20: 17 - 34
Evening Lectionary: Lamentations 3: 19 - 33. Matthew 20: 17 - 34
Every time we come to the Lord in prayer we might remember these word’s of Jesus to the
mother of James and John “What do you
want” and to the two blind men “What do you want me to do for you?”
The mother of
James and John came humbly kneeling before Jesus and he said to her, “What do you want” she made her request
to him, could her two sons sit one at his right hand and one at his left in his
kingdom? Jesus’ response indicated that he could not give her the answer she wanted to hear, as these positions were for those appointed by his Father.
Whether this request came indirectly from James and John through their mother, it may have been the case. Earlier in a conversation among the twelve they discussed as to which one of them was the greatest.
“And they
came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you
discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had been
discussed with each one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and
called the twelve; and he said to them. “If any one would be first, must be
last and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of
them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such
child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him
who has sent me.” Mark 9: 33-37
Jesus
teaching them to have a child-like humility towards each other and the things
of God.
In our reading Jesus mentions to those
who seek to be the greatest or the first among them would be servant or a
slave.
Definition of
a servant – A person in service of another.
A Slave - A
person who is the property of another.
Jesus’
implied that both these words ’servant’ and ‘slave are part of the Christian
life; meaning - to humbly surrender our life to Christ, and as part of that to
drink from his cup of suffering in a world that seeks darkness rather than
light.
Many Christian leaders are suffering today: Brother Yun. “We're not called to live by human
reason. All that matters is obedience to God's Word and his leading in our
lives. if God says go, we'll go. If he says stay, we'll stay. When we are in
his will, we are in the safest place in the world.” (extract from Brother Yun Quotes website)
Those have suffered for their faith
down the centuries: Martin Luther King. "April 4
is the death anniversary of one of the most admired freedom fighters in
history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Luther was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and
leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movements. Apart from the
anti-discrimination activism he was involved in throughout his life, he is also
known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil
disobedience based on his Christian beliefs." (extract from Martin Luther King website)
Jesus says
rejoice in your suffering, in the Spirit of his holy love.
We
remind ourselves of the humility in the holy love of God “Love is patient and
kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does
not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not
rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes
all things, hoped all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Jesus said to the two blind men “What do you want me to do for you?” they
where sat by the road side and when they heard that Jesus was coming so they cried out to him, “Have mercy on us, Son
of David.” Jesus responded by asking them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
They replied, “Lord let our eyes be opened,” and he touched their eyes and
immediately they received their sight.
Jesus says to us “What do you want me
to do for you?” That made me pause . . .
Jesus stopped as he heard the blind men’s desperate plea.
He also would have heard those people standing close to the men telling them to be silent.
Jesus stopped as he heard the blind men’s desperate plea.
He also would have heard those people standing close to the men telling them to be silent.
Why would those stood near them want the blind men to be silent, were
they ashamed of them? Maybe their appearance so reprehensible to them; poorly
dressed beggars. Perhaps they were
regarded as sinners, therefore, too unclean to be touched by Jesus.
The good news is that no one’s cry is
beyond the reach of God.
I have had a number of conversations tried to persuade a person that nothing can come between them and the love of God no matter what their circumstances or what they have done.
In the old
testament reading, Jeremiah wrote, “The steadfast love of the Lord never
ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is
thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3: 22
Jeremiah lamented over the
unfaithfulness of God’s people.
The Book of Lamentations consist of five poems, these are understood to be essentially an adaptation of the mourning songs that were sung at every funeral, and it is thought that they may well have been intended to reflect the all-embracing character of the tragedy (fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple) which left people emotionally and morally distraught. The people were forced to accept of what prophets like Jeremiah had been saying all along: the destruction of Jerusalem had been allowed by God. It had been brought about as a result of their disobedience and unfaithfulness towards the things of God.
“The Lord is
good to those who wait for him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord.”Lamentations 3: 25, 26.
Jeremiah had a burden for the people
of Israel.
Jeremiah in his suffering was burdened
and cried out in his poems, his laments to God. He grieved the loss of the
people exiled into Babylon and the Jerusalem Temple’s destruction. In the third
Lamentation his suffering has been great, but he continues to look every
morning, waiting and hoping that the day of Salvation would soon come. Hoping
that God would answer his prayer and turn the Israelites back to God.
How Jeremiah would have longed to be in those two blind men’s shoes, kneeling before his saviour and hearing directly from him those words, “What do you want me to do for you?” How he would have longed to have seen his Saviour face to face.
Jesus had a burden for the whole of
mankind
In our reading Matthew records the prophecy of Jesus of his suffering, death and resurrection. In his suffering he felt the disapproval of the high priest and scribes. Fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy, “ He turned his cheek to the smiter.” Lamentations 3: 30
.His Father God asked and expected Jesus in the Spirit of His love to take this yoke of mankind’s sin and bear it in death on the cross. In fulfilling his prophecy Jesus made it possible for all to receive the healing touch of God.
After Jesus’ resurrection Matthew recognised that Jesus’ healing ministry had not ended with his death, “This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8: 17
The Healing of our Nation
In response to the prayer of his church, God is raising up men and women like Jeremiah. Only recently we were asked as a church to support the Jake Berry’s Bill to protect young people from the gambling advertisements before the watershed of 9pm.
On April 1st 2014 our MP Jake Berry presented his Bill to the House of Commons to prohibit the advertising of gambling on broadcast media before the watershed. He outlined the reasons for bringing this concern to the House:
“I have also been in touch with parents and grandparents throughout my constituency, all of whom have spoken to me of their deep concern about the way in which their experience of watching television with their children and grandchildren is changing. Gambling advertisements now seem to dominate their screens, and children ask them about gambling and about how they can gamble during sports matches. . . I do not wish to prevent any adult from having access to gambling, or from receiving information about it. However, it is an age-related activity, and it seems only right and proper for us to protect young people from being exposed to advertisements for what is for some, albeit a small number, an addictive and harmful activity. Advertisements on television have great power. Young people, and indeed some adults, believe that if something is advertised on TV, it is bound to be harmless. Constant advertisements for gambling condition young people to believe that it is a fun or glamorous activity; indeed, some advertisements are endorsed by celebrities. We must restrict such advertisements to adults, who are better able to weigh the odds, to understand the risks and, crucially, to deal with the consequences of any gambling losses. Tobacco advertisements were banned from television in 1991, and we must act similarly now to ban gambling advertisements before the watershed.” Extract from Jake’s Speech
“I have also been in touch with parents and grandparents throughout my constituency, all of whom have spoken to me of their deep concern about the way in which their experience of watching television with their children and grandchildren is changing. Gambling advertisements now seem to dominate their screens, and children ask them about gambling and about how they can gamble during sports matches. . . I do not wish to prevent any adult from having access to gambling, or from receiving information about it. However, it is an age-related activity, and it seems only right and proper for us to protect young people from being exposed to advertisements for what is for some, albeit a small number, an addictive and harmful activity. Advertisements on television have great power. Young people, and indeed some adults, believe that if something is advertised on TV, it is bound to be harmless. Constant advertisements for gambling condition young people to believe that it is a fun or glamorous activity; indeed, some advertisements are endorsed by celebrities. We must restrict such advertisements to adults, who are better able to weigh the odds, to understand the risks and, crucially, to deal with the consequences of any gambling losses. Tobacco advertisements were banned from television in 1991, and we must act similarly now to ban gambling advertisements before the watershed.” Extract from Jake’s Speech
He has support from across all political parties, but there is a lot of others who are opposed. Second reading in Parliament on the 16th May
So when Jesus asks “What do you want me to do for you?”
My prayer today is; Lord please bless our nation; give wisdom to those in authority both in the church and in Parliament. Strengthen those who are raised by you to uphold Christ’s teachings and give them your love and grace to be faithful witnesses. Amen
