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Palm Sunday - Personal responses to Christs Week of Passion - Part 2
Last week we began looking at some of the people who engaged Jesus Christ the last week before the Cross and what their response were. Last week we began with the Response of Distraction. We now continue with the second response this week.
The second group of people to engage Christ during Christ’s last week before the Cross – is two blind men who were located somewhere on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem.
Matt. 20:29-34 - “And as they went out of Jerico, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’
The crows rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’
And stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’
And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.”
Now Jericho was a popular residential city in which alot of the chief priests and religious leaders lived ...for convenience and comfort. Jericho was a fertile Oasis compared to the rocky hills surrounding Jerusalem. Jericho was the upscale community in southern Israel.
Let me make some observations about these two blind men and where they lived and what they were going through.
- Just because you live in the perfect place, the perfect house, the perfect neighborhood, surrounded by the spiritually elite – It by no means is a guarantee Life is going to be fair or good.
- For whatever reason – during Christ’s 3 + years of doing miracles, healing the sick, casting out devils, causing the lame to walk, deaf to hear, and the blind to see – somehow – THEY HAD MISSED IT
- Some of their friends had been healed. They had heard Jesus can heal. There was plenty of evidence to support their faith that Jesus could heal them. They had faith... if they found Jesus... they would be healed... But...for whatever reason, Jesus had never come through for them.
Have you ever felt like – God...where are you? God, I know you can heal people, but for whatever reason... you have never healed me. God, you know I love you. I believe in you. I just need you to show up in my life. 3 years of hearing – healing stories had them sitting alongside the road waiting, hoping... that Jesus would show up today. For 3 years they had sat alongside this road committed to be ready...when Jesus came by.
I don’t believe it was an accident that Jesus made a special trip from Jericho to Jerusalem during his last week on this earth. He knew He had two blind friends who were in desperate need for His touch.
Is anyone reading this today desperate for His touch? Is there anyone who is faithfully committed to being ready when He shows up?
The 2nd Response we get during this Week of Passion – is the response of The Grateful – when Jesus shows up and shows out.
I love this. Matt.20:35 - “So Jesus in pity (compassion) touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight... and followed him.”
What did they do after Jesus touched them? They Followed Him.
For the 1st time in their lives they could see -- There were a lot of things they had never seen before this moment.
- they had never watched a sunrise or sunset
- they had never seen the faces of their wives or children
- they had never gone on a sight-seeing tour of all of the beautiful sights in Israel
- they had never seen the faces of their best friends
There were a lot of things they had never seen or been able to do because of their physical limitations... But once healed, they did the best thing, THEY FOLLOWED JESUS.
I can’t tell you the number of people who I have seen Jesus help, heal, touch, pick up the broken pieces of their lives, and restore them to wholeness – only for them to return to their old lives of sin. There are a lot of people who only love God through their crisis... and once they get what they need from Him they return to their old loves and old lives.
I love the GRATEFULNESS I see in these 2 blind men. After being healed...they followed Jesus. When Jesus healed them, He enabled them to see the beauty of...
…the sweet rose of Sharon/ the lily of the valley/ the bright and morning star/ the dayspring of glory/ and ancient of days
...church...He is still ALTOGETHER LOVELY.
Join us next week as we continue with more responses.
Blessings to you all and have a blessed Palm Sunday.
Last Update: Mar 28, 2021 6:16 pm CDT
