Luke 18:35-43 (ESV Strong's)
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Tag: Faith is Required
There are probably few people who would not want a miracle in their life when asked by God, “What do you want me to do for you?” In the above story a blind man makes an obvious choice when asked: His sight. What would someone else ask? A cure for cancer? A healing of our nation? A expansion of the Gospel? Would it be safety for the persecuted church? Or, would we hear, enriched bank accounts; increased positions in our jobs; or, a great weekend weather pattern? It might be said that the depth of our cries for a miracle reveal more about our spiritual condition than any other measurement. Certainly our prayer life says much about our spiritual life. In the above story the key element in the conversation between Jesus and the blind man was “faith.” It was Jesus mercy and power that made him whole, but it was his faith that was the conduit for that power. In the previous chapter of Luke we read a story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Only one of them come back to thank and praise Jesus. Jesus asks where are the other nine. Only the one came back to praise Jesus. Here is Jesus’ response:
Luke 17:19 (ESV Strong's)
And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
It was Jesus mercy and power that made him well, but Jesus make sure he knew, everyone around him knew and we know (through Luke’s writing) that it is faith that paves the way for Jesus power in our lives. Faith opens the doors for all that God will provide in Christ Jesus:
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV Strong's)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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