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| Vol. 14 No. 2 February 2012 | Page 7 |
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| Vol. 14 No. 2 February 2012 | Page 7 |
Editor's Note
Marilyn LaStrape
Matthew 20:29-30 reads, “Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’” The multitude warned the men to be quiet, but they cried out all the more. Verse 32 says, “So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’” Verse 33 tells us how specific these men were in their request. “They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’” Verse 34 states the Lord’s reaction and the result of their request being granted. “So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.”
Luke 17:11-19 gives the account of ten lepers. These lepers’ request of Jesus was very much the same as the two blind men. Verses 12-13 says, “Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” When Jesus saw them, He told them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were cleansed. One, who was a Samaritan, when he saw he was healed, returned and with a loud voice glorified God, fell down at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks. Verse 17 states, “So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’”
We see the reactions in two different situations of people having a priceless, personal need fulfilled. The two blind men upon having their eyesight restored followed Jesus immediately. Only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks and glorify God for their request being granted. The teaching of Scripture in these two examples alone is noteworthy.
Can you see in your mind’s eye what it would be like to have the only begotten Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Alpha and the Omega, asking you what you wanted Him to do for you? To get an audience with Jesus Christ when He was on this earth had to be the fulfillment of anyone’s greatest desire in the first century! Crowds followed Him constantly.
Jesus appeared before many after His glorious resurrection. On one occasion, He appeared to two men traveling to the village of Emmaus. They were talking and reasoning with each other as Jesus drew near and went with them. Luke 24:16 says, “But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” As they walked along, Jesus asked them what it was they were conversing about and why they were so sad. Luke records, beginning at Moses Jesus explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:31-32 states, “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’”
A glorious description of Jesus Christ is revealed to us in Colossians 1:15-18. Verse 15 says He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Subsequent verses tell us that all things were created for Him in heaven and on earth, and that He is before all things and in Him all things consist. Verse 18 culminates by declaring, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” That one-of-a-kind supremacy takes your breath away!
What is it that we need Jesus Christ to do for us? We need Him to open our eyes that we might see wondrous things within the law of God. We need to be granted knowledge, wisdom and understanding according to the Word of God. We need our steps to be directed by God’s Word. We need our sins forgiven so that our relationship to God can be restored because of the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
Jesus Christ is the highest expression of love and concern for our spiritual wholeness. With a vast eternity in view, what do you want Him to do for you?