And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
Understanding And Applying the Text
Jesus heals two blind men. But He does not do it as fast as He has on other occasions. As Jesus leaves the ruler’s house. Two blind men approach. The cry out “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” It was a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They only asked for God’s grace.
There is no record of Jesus responding to them until He enters the house where He was staying. It was as if He was ignoring them. Once He entered the house He asked if they had faith He could heal them. It appears as if Jesus was trying their faith both by His actions and His words.
This raises a question. Is it enough to believe in the power of God and of Christ? Will that make a person a believer? From other passages of Scripture, we know that is not the case. Our knowledge of his power is not enough. We must also believe in His willingness. But their response satisfied Christ. He applauds their faith. It was as if that was the best that could He could wish.
These two men’s faith was small and imperfect. Even so, they received what they asked. How much more efficacious will the prayers be of those whose faith is through the Spirit?
Jesus told them not to tell anyone what happened. And they went right out and did the opposite. They were excited. About that there can be no doubt. But that is no excuse to disobey the Lord. We do not know why Jesus forbade them to tell the story. All we know is the men disobeyed Christ. They told of the events before the proper time. Their excitement was no excuse.
As the blind men left, a mute demon-possessed man was brought to Christ. Jesus healed the man by casting out the demon. When this happened the people exclaimed, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”
This was not a premeditated statement. This was a spontaneous exclamation. It was but a sudden burst of admiration.
But the Pharisees were not impressed. They claimed Jesus was an angel of Satan. Satan’s demons obey their master and so they obey when told to leave the man. There is a stark contrast between the applause of the people and the blasphemy of the Pharisees. We can learn here there is no work of God that men cannot and will not pervert.
