“What do you want Me to do for you?”

Today's text from the daily reading in the One Year Bible(link available on Links page), is rich with lessons and truth of God's Word. We will undoubtedly revisit some of these accounts again either in the other Gospel accounts or possibly around the time of Palm Sunday to Easter. Today's "nuggets" reflection will be centered on the first verses Matthew 20:29-34, "Sight for the Blind" and the final portion Matthew 21:18-22. "The Barren Fig Tree". I chose not to edit out the rest of the text to allow God's word to speak to each of you as He desires. 

Matthew 20:29-21:22

Sight for the Blind

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ³¹ The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

The Triumphal Entry

21 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁶ The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, ⁷ and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. ⁹ The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

¹⁰ When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹ And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Cleansing the Temple

¹² And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. ¹³ And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant ¹⁶ and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” ¹⁷ And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

The Barren Fig Tree

¹⁸ Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

²⁰ Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” ²¹ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. ²² And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Today the first thing that impressed me in the text was in the account of the blind men receiving their sight. Verse 31 says:  The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” It's hard to understand why the people would have rebuked these two blind men. I can only imagine that because of their condition, being blind, they were probably lowly men, perhaps homeless and beggars. Perhaps then, if we bring this situation into our times we can better understand the crowds actions. Imagine a large crowd of people that have gathered to hear one of todays great speakers. They have come hoping to hear from and possibly even be personally touched by this famous person. Within the crowd there are two dirty, smelly homeless beggars crying out at the top of their voices. Do you think that the people would look well on these wretches or would they perhaps rebuke them and push them aside so they didn't interfere with the program?  Crowds tend to bring out the worst in people, hundreds or thousands of people who all are basically self centered and self absorbed all pushing and shoving, struggling for their own place. It is more likely to foster contempt than compassion. Jesus though is different. He doesn't work according to the schedules and programs of man. John 5:19  says: Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. Jesus did/does what the Father told/tells Him to do. In today's text the Father wanted to give these blind men their sight. We need to be willing in our own church services and programs to take the time to hear what the Father wants and to interrupt our schedule and agenda to allow Jesus to do what needs to be done. It may cause the contempt of the crowd, but isn't our desire that His will be done and His kingdom come?

Verses 32 and 33 hold two more important lessons or principles for us today. ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”  Jesus asked the men what they wanted Him to do for them. Was it because Jesus was unaware of their condition? It is rather because there is an element of faith required in asking Jesus to do something.  Philippians 4:6-7 says ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.    Matthew 6:7-8   says: ⁷ “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.   It is not for God's benefit that we make our requests known. It is rather evidence that we have faith that God alone can give us what we want or need.

There is another principle that we can learn from though in Jesus question to these men. When we see people with an obvious need, if we have perhaps gone to visit them in sickness or some other difficult circumstance. We should not assume that their most desperate prayer request is centered around their obvious condition or circumstance. Many people in a bed of sickness would request prayers for salvation for loved ones, prayers for protection, provision and peace for their family are often a priority to them. When we pray for others we should take the time to listen first to them and then to the Father. Perhaps the Father will respond to their unselfish request as He did to Soloman when he asked for wisdom to be king rather than for selfish gain.

¹⁰ It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, ¹² behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. ¹³ I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. ¹⁴ If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”( 1 Kings 3)  

Jesus closes today's text with these words concerning prayer and faith.

“Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. ²² And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 

The three questions of prayer and faith.

1. We ask of God, not because He doesn't know what we need, but because it demonstrates and builds or faith.

2. We ask others because we are not God and we want to know their desires and needs and because their asking fulfills #1 for them as well.

3. We ask  believing. If we don't believe we are worthy or that God is able, we might as well not ask. But,  " all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 

Thank You, Father God, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit. Amen