DO YOU BELIEVE?
Matthew 9:27-31 NKJV
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 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?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
Maybe a better title would have been, what do you believe? Because what we believe about the Lord and His ability to move in our lives is a big determinant in what we receive.
The account of the two blind men who came to Jesus is a great example of the importance of our personal beliefs. By that, I mean more than the general belief that God is all-powerful and good. I am speaking specifically of what you believe the Lord is able to do for you. The question itself can be very unsettling. It’s easy to believe that God can do all things. However, when it comes to what God is able to do in your life, things look differently.
The two blind men were following Jesus and crying out after Him. They were asking for mercy, and by calling Him the Son of David, the men were, in essence, calling Jesus the Messiah. The men wanted healing, and evidently Jesus did not stop walking because they followed Him into the house where He was staying. When the men got to Jesus, He asked them an important question, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” Jesus asked interesting questions. He asked a man who had been lame for decades if he wanted to get well. He asked others in obvious need of healing what they wanted Him to do for them. We are looking back and thinking, come on, Jesus, it’s obvious, isn’t it? But Jesus did not simply ask questions to pass the time. Jesus asked questions to determine where people were and what they believed.
To the two blind men, Jesus asked them if they believed He could do this. Doing this had to involve the restoration of their sight. Jesus did not ask if they believed He was good or believed He was Messiah. Jesus asked what they believed about His ability to heal them. And the two men got the question right on the first try. Yes, Lord! Nothing fancy but definitely faith. They believed Jesus could heal them. Jesus touched their eyes and their eyes were opened. Their faith gave Jesus something to work with because He said, “according to your faith let it be to you.” Or we could say, according to what you believe, let it be to you. What they believed was what they were able to receive from the Lord.
And of course, Jesus told them not to say anything. But if you were blind and now you could see, it would be hard to keep that under wraps.
APPLICATION
This is a question we can all ask ourselves. Do we believe the Lord is able to do…, fill in the blank for your life. Do you believe the Lord is able to help you with the biggest issue you are facing? Do you believe the Lord can fix your biggest challenge? I can’t answer these questions for you. Oh, I can preach to you and tell you, but when it all comes down to it, what you believe is the most important thing.
If you find yourself honestly doubting if the Lord can help you, do not despair. The answer will be to devote more focused time in fellowship with the Lord in prayer and Scripture. The Holy Spirit can guide you to a stronger place where you can answer the question of, do I believe the Lord is able, with confidence. Yes, Lord!
PRAYER
Lord, I do believe You. Help me take the limits off of You as it pertains to my life.