Saturday 12 March 2022

Psalm 4

Background

During Lent, we reflect on the price Jesus paid to heal and set all of God’s creation free. We walk in the confidence that through his wounds, we are healed as we understand from 1 Peter 2:24, which records that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the Cross in order that we could be free from sin and that we might live for righteousness. By his wounds we have been healed. It is through his suffering that Christ enters our hearts anew, and into those parts of us that long for encounter and healing. Ultimately on the Cross, love is revealed.

In this text for today, Jesus heals two blind men and a person who was demon possessed. The Pharisees’ response is an attempt to undermine Jesus’ credibility and authority by labelling it the power of evil. Following this, Jesus feels compassion for the crowds. The two blind men follow Jesus crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” On entering the house, the blind men approach him and Jesus says to them “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” When they say yes, Jesus heals them.

I am awestruck by Jesus’ encounter with the two blind men in a crowded public place where they are caught up in the general emotion. I am astounded at how the two men address Jesus using a formal title, ‘Son of David.’ I wonder what makes them do that. What do they see in Jesus that others do not see? I am also interested in how Jesus does nothing until the two blind men get into the house.

In the text today, we are reminded that Jesus does not meet us as one of a multitude, but he meets us face to face, on our own, where the truth of our words can be established, free from the misconceptions of mass emotion. The blind men’s faith in Jesus' power of healing is encouraging and real.

To Ponder:

• Do you ever experience the inner healing power of God?
• Do you look with expectation and hope to see how God is answering our prayers?