Message from the Monthly Flyer February 2018

The cry of a blind man

Luke 18: 35-43 - KJV -35-43 „And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.“

When we consider the spontaneity and the rapidity by which this blind man jumped from the place where he was sitting and ran towards Jesus, we understand that without a doubt, he had heard about this man called Jesus before. Surely somebody had told him that there is a very special person in town who has been performing miracles, signs and wonders among the people. We can imagine that upon hearing about all these wonderful testimonies, this blind man had started hoping that He would meet this Man called Jesus one day.

When they told him that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was passing by, he never asked „who is He? I’ve never heard about him“. Even though he had never had a direct encounter with Jesus, hope had risen in his heart when he heard about Jesus and he believed Him to be the Son of David. But his infirmity had hindered him from following after Jesus. So he remained at his usual place to ask for alms and had no other choice than to pray and hope that Jesus would one day pass by him. And he did.

Even though the crowd tried to push him back, this blind man knew that this was the chance of his life and he could not afford to miss this unique opportunity to meet the miracle working Man at last. He had no eyes to see Jesus, but he had a voice that was strong enough to cover the noise of the crowd and get Jesus‘ attention. The noise of the crowd could not choke his cry. But most of all, it was his soul that was crying out in despair to the Master. Just like the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years, this blind man was able to force his way through the crowd and get to Jesus. And he received his miracle.

This sick man that Luke does not call by his name could be you and me. It could be anybody. Maybe life has caused you to be handicapped in some areas, but you can still get the attention of the Master. If you have faith in Him and if you believe that He can do all things, yes if you are fully determined to get God’s attention, then He will not pass you by. He is full of love and compassion and He is waiting for you to cry out to Him in faith and in trust. Don’t be discouraged by the pressure around you. Even if your best friends try to discourage you and don‘t understand how you feel, just call on the master with all your heart and do not allow the circumstances of life to shut you up.

Sometimes we are disqualified by the situations that we experience and the people around us. Sometimes people put a label on us, put us aside and decide that we don’t belong. But when Jesus says yes, nobody can say no. He is the qualifier. If others reject us, He is ever ready to accept us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is not over until Jesus says so. Jesus has the final say. In the darkest hour of our lives, His light will shine brighter than the sun and revive us again. So cry out to Jesus with all your heart. He is nearer than you think. He will answer your call and give you the desires of your heart. mt