”As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.“ Matthew 20:29-34 NLT
Matthew records that Jesus and his guys were leaving Jericho. The huge historical, famous city of jericho! Robin and I have been to Jericho, it is way out there in the desert. The biggest attraction, a section of the original wall that had been excavated. Just a portion of a very old wall! However, we were in an ancient city, and just touching a piece of history that old was exciting. Jericho is in the West Bank and still under Palestinian control. Driving into the town was like entering a war zone. The guard towers and barbed wire was intimidating and I noticed the hardware changed to AK47’s. Jericho, by the way, had become kind of a highly religious community back in Jesus day. Many Jewish priests and religious leaders resided there.
Leaving the town, Jesus had a crowd following him, he was now a known person. Two blind men hearing the commotion, must have guessed that this the Jesus everyone had been talking about. They didn’t want to miss their moment. They screamed out, the crowd censured or rebuked them. The men screamed louder, Jesus heard them above the crowd’s disapproval. The next few moments are brief but powerful. Jesus stopped and asked them a question. “What do you wish I would do for you?” Jesus knew who they were- beggars. And, he knew what they needed – to see again. Yet he asked them. Of course they answered back, “we want you to open our eyes.” A nice way to say, they would really like to see and not be blind anymore. Matthew writes a word that became synonymous with Jesus’ attitude emotions for those who were suffering. Jesus was moved with compassion, “splagxnízomai” – “from splanxna, ‘the inward parts,’ especially the nobler entrails – the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. It was a medical term that became the way people would describe the inner turmoil of feelings – as in feeling it in their guts! Jesus felt this deep, gut-check and immediately touched their eyes. They would now become sightseers instead of blind beggars. Then the men followed Jesus.
Jesus had become known for being someone moved to this gut-checked emotion called compassion. This compassion, equally mixed with mercy, would become the picture of who God really is, contrary to the harsh, quick-to-judge religious leaders of the day. Contrary to the fake stereotypes about God, even today. What would it take for me to see people like Jesus sees them? Jesus was busy, on mission, and had very specific divine appointments directed by the Holy Spirit. Yet, when he heard these men cry out, he stopped, felt their struggles, and healed them. Can compassion be a precursor, a prerequisite to a miracle?
Prayer
Dad,
Do I see the world around me like you do? Do I take or make time to listen and be led by your Holy Spirit? Do I have compassion for those suffering around me? My own city, up and down my own streets, may not be filled with blind beggars, but they are filled with individuals who have completely spiraled down to a horrible existence. They have become almost invisible to me and there are so many of them. Help me to have compassion, mercy and maybe just enough courage and time to see them, hear them and ask what they might need.