27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land. 32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

Jesus continued His healing ministry and despite His frequent admonition against telling anyone about these events, the news spread (see 9:26). While He desired the good news of the message of the kingdom to be spread, He wanted the rehearsing of the miraculous events downplayed. One could say these healed men were disobedient, but this might be forgivable because of the enormity of their experience. For a blind person to regain sight was a big deal, far more than seeing people could ever realize! Regardless, the stories of His miraculous powers circulated. Ultimately, Matthew and the other gospel writers definitively spread the word through their accounts of the life of Christ.

The Lord, at the time, wanted to forestall the showdown with the religious leaders, which was building, as verse 34 shows: “His time was not yet.” Be that as it may, some observations are in order regarding the passage before us.

First, the two blind men asked for mercy, the initial and most basic form of request to God. The core problem for humanity is separation from Him because of rebellion. A request for mercy reflects a tacit admission of our problem and our need. In truth, it is the only hope a sinner has in approaching God, since he deserves nothing at all from his Creator and spurned Lord.

Second, faith is required (vs. 28-29, see also Heb 11:6). If we ask for mercy, in faith, God will reward us with an answer. This leads to the third observation. Giving sight to the blind men was a sign of God’s mercy. Along with the healing of the demonized man, the symptom of which was muteness, Jesus’ power was demonstrated over the most basic of human senses and abilities: to see and to communicate. Clearly, the Lord came to restore our ability to see (spiritually) and to speak (to communicate and give God praise as we ought). The crowds were amazed, while the Pharisees seethed.

Lord, help me see clearly what You are doing in my world and to use my mouth to give You the praise and glory You deserve.