“And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” – Luke 18:42-43
As Jesus went from town to town, he encountered many different people. Some of the people he encountered wanted to simply see him as he passed through their community. They followed him like a modern-day celebrity. Others sought after Jesus because they wanted to hear his intimate religious knowledge. Some wanted to challenge him on his understanding of scripture and the law. Often, when Jesus entered a community, he would encounter people who were eagerly waiting on him because they needed healing and heard that Jesus was capable of great miracles. They were people in great need and Jesus represented hope for healing.
It was on the road, leading into Jericho, that Jesus encounters a person in need of healing and hope. A blind man was sitting along the road. He had heard that Jesus was passing by, so he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The blind man was persistent and caught the attention of Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The mercy he wanted was to have his sight restored. Luke tells us that Jesus offered mercy that day and gave the blind man sight. His hope was realized and now he could see.
When this former blind man received mercy, he “immediately” began to follow Jesus, giving thanks to God for His wonderful gift. This amazing encounter reminds us that God is at work offering his gracious love, hope, and mercy to all. When we receive this mercy, Luke reminds us of the proper response to such a wonderful gift… gratitude and praise.
God has blessed us in so many wonderful ways. Our response to God’s gracious mercy is to follow God, to become active disciples of Jesus. Our first work as followers of Jesus is praise and gratitude. We offer our thanksgiving in worship, song, and prayer. God has done so much for each of us, and when we call out to Him today, God still cares for us. This deserves our active participation in worship and prayer.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
