In this encounter there is a... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2023

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us! And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this?
Matthew 9:27.28.

In this encounter there is a certain amount of tension. Two blind men followed Jesus and implored His help. But only when He had entered a house did He speak to them. Why didn’t He, who always sympathised with people in need, deal instantly with their problem? The answer clearly lies in His question, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

The two had repeatedly asked the “Son of David” for help. This title was reserved for the Messiah, the King whom God had promised, and whom the Jewish people had expected for centuries. Scripture confirms that the Messiah will be a descendant of David, the greatest king in Israel’s history. So the blind men were using the official title of the Messiah in the way they addressed Jesus. Therefore they honoured Jesus, for many refused to acknowledge Him as their Messiah.

Yet Jesus asked them personally, ““Do you believe that I am able to do this?” It was easy to address the Lord with the correct title. But how did they really stand concerning Him? Had they simply come because others considered Him to be the Messiah and was much talked about? Or did they truly believe in Him and His omnipotence?

Today the Lord asks us the same question. What others say may be well formulated and respectful. But He doesn’t want us merely to repeat what we have heard of Him. He wants us to come to Him out of personal conviction and faith. So Jesus asks us: “Do you believe that I can do this?” That is, “Do you trust in my saving power?”

Today's reading: Jeremiah 41:11-42:6 · Romans 10:1-13