Listen and See

“And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ And stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.” (Matthew 20:29-34)

Blind from birth. Shunned. Ostracized. Identity as worthless.

Jesus coming.

They cry out.

The crowd: “Silence.” Just as they had been their whole life. Stripped of a voice. Shunned. Worthless. I would have cowered back, been silenced.

But they cried out all the more. All the more? How? What? Why? What was it about Jesus that increased their confidence? What was it about Jesus that, without words, spoke greater than the roar of the crowd? What about Jesus spoke greater than the voice of shame that had slithered in from their very birth?

“Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

Lord—power. Whether it was an intentional recognition of some sense of divinity, or just a title of respect, they recognized power. Whatever shame, silence, abuse, situation we are in—power.

Mercy—compassion. Whatever storms come against us, whatever sin, shame, guilt, consequences we deserve—mercy.

Son of David—the Messianic title, the Servant of God who would come to open the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 35:5). The faithful God of a new kingdom, new era, who kept his covenant promises. Whatever seems to have been unanswered for years—faithful.

This is our God, our Jesus, our Savior. And the One-Who-Rules-the-Angels stops and asks these two worthless rejects, “What do you want me to do for you?” And does it. He pauses his apparent agenda. Stops. For them. For us.

Do we want to know our Abba listens? Cares? In our storms, in God’s silence, in the dark night of the soul, in our apathy, in our shame, in our pleasures in the world, in the just plodding of daily life and dirty dishes, does God Almighty really care? Really listen?

Look at Jesus. Hear him. See him.

He saw them as individuals—he sees you. No labels.

He hears—above the clamor of the crowd, all the needs, noise, fame.

He stopped—he is attentive to your cries.

He asks—he listens, responds.

He has pity—his heart is moved, his heart is for you.

He touches—relationship, presence, with you.

He heals—he responds with all the power of an Almighty Ever-Making-Things-New God to their personal request.

Do we SEE Jesus in a way that causes US to call out more loudly?

Do we SHOW Jesus in a way that causes OUR NEIGHBORS to call out more loudly?