Have Mercy!

By Alessandra Velsor

“As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’ Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”—Matthew 20:29–34 (NIV)

There exists two types of people: those who ask for help and the others who stubbornly refuse. We can all vacillate between the two extremes depending on the circumstances.What if you only get one more chance though? That’s usually when we give in and set aside our pride to ask for help—and that’s the precise case of the two blind men in this passage.

Nowadays, visually impaired people have a plethora of resources, organizations, and advances to benefit from. But back in biblical times, there was no help at all, and they were left in a vulnerable, desperate, and miserable situation. Also, keep in mind that there was this cultural notion that sickness, or any kind of ailment, was equivalent to sin, and if anyone suffered, it was thought to be a punishment or a generational curse (John 9:1–2).

Although they can’t see him, they must feel the large crowd surrounding the—and they must have heard the whisperings about THAT man who can perform miracles. Jesus and His disciples were leaving town and were on their way to Jerusalem, and it was now or never and an all or nothing for these blind men. They shouted and called out to Him: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd heard them and rebuked them loudly. According to Luke 18:35, the men were beggars,and there was no respect for those who were not productive in their society. From their vantage point, those blind men deserved their fate. Granted, in the Gospel of Luke, we only read of one man, and in Mark 10:46, we learn his name is Bartimaeus, which means son of Timaeus, which actually means honor. Oh the irony that the son of honor is a blind beggar! But in Matthew, we learn it was not one, but two, who begged for mercy.

Do you know who saw their plight and heard their cries? The Son of David, the Messiah—the One who was sent to establish the kingdom, the house of God, here on earth; the descendant from the one who wanted to build it (David), but God promised it would be built through His Son. They called Him by name, they recognized His authority to heal and acknowledged His deity.

And we all know by now how Jesus absolutely LOVES to be interrupted and enjoys defying the crowds, so He stops and asks them, “What do you want me to do for you?” By now, we know how Jesus operates. We know He knows they’re blind, and we also know He knows what they want, but He desires for them to simply ask Him. Likewise, He desires for us to ask Him and He promises He will respond to our pleas (James 4:2).

Jesus extends His hands, touches their eyes, and gives them back their sight. He didn’t have to touch them, but He did so with compassion. He’s healed without touching the sick as He only needs to say the word, but His mercy led Him to do something no one else would do because of their outcast status.

Friends, we serve a generous, humble, and merciful Savior who knows what it’s like to be human. He knows our struggles and our weaknesses, and He fully empathizes with us (Hebrews 4:15). What do YOU want Him to do for you?

Pause: Have you experienced the mercy of our Savior? How has that experience helped you transform into the person you are today?

Practice: Cry out to Jesus and ask for His mercy today. He sees you, He hears you, and it’s ok to admit you need Him. What do you want Him to do for you?

Pray: El-Roi, thank You because You see me. You see my weakness and You hear my cries for Your deliverance in my life. I put aside my pride and confess that I need You. I am dependent on Your mercies daily. I cannot breathe without the lungs You’ve designed in my body; I cannot walk without the legs You’ve created; I cannot grasp without the hands You’ve given me; I cannot speak without the voice You’ve gifted me with. Thank You for Your compassion, for forgiving my trespasses, and for giving me a second chance. There are truly no words to express how much I love You. I am not ashamed to say, I need You today like children need their parents. I pray my love for You continues to grow every day until You call me home. Amen.