Son of David, have mercy on us!

 

 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into 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 let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.  And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons."

 

- Matthew 9:27–34 

 

Yesterday we read that, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Jesus, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.   

 

 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into 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 let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.   My study Bible comments on these events of today's reading that, according to Isaiah, the messianic age is signified when "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear" (Isaiah 35:5).  These healings are a sign that Jesus is the awaited Messiah, as is the use of the title Son of David by the blind men, which expresses their faith indeed He is.

 

But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons."  My study Bible says that to cast out demons by the ruler of demons is impossible, for the aim of the devil is to consolidate power, not destroy it.  Further, Jesus cleansed lepers, raised the dead, and remitted sins -- works demons could not perform.

 

Today's reading teaches us about the fulfillment of the prophesied signs of the Messiah, a clear indication that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the One who was awaited in Israel.  He heals the blind, and makes the mute speak, signs of the time of the Messiah.  One may begin to wonder why Christ was not more widely accepted as the Messiah, but then again we don't really know how many of His contemporaries were believers and how many were not.  We can think back to the time of Christ and ponder the different political tides of the time, the dangerous and violent times of warfare and conflicts between big powers, as well as the various forces within Israel trying to retain their power.  That would include the leadership in the temple, the Council, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Romans and their various "kings" who ruled for them.  All of these factions exist still yet in new forms, including those of the type who would seek to make their own revolution to throw off the Roman rule, like Barabbas.   All of these struggles with expectations and hopes and demands still clash, and yet how many could have understood or prophesied the effects of history to come?  We can look now at the same region and think about the conflicting struggles and powers and hopes, all magnified through new technologies, vast wealth, and great power of the type of this century, and think to ourselves, where we can find Christ in the story today?  Who awaits the Christ?  Who seeks His way?  Is there a place for Him in the hearts of people?  Can we see Him playing a role in the midst of the turmoil of our time?  If nothing less, let us ask ourselves where He is in today's picture, or if amidst so many demands, desires, conflicts, mercenary fights and retaliations, does anyone seek Him?  Perhaps we should say that He is the one thing that is truly needed, the one place to find our peace, the only way to find and an answer to the growing problems that plague us.  He is, after all, the way.  Let us, who suffer from so much blindness, say with the blind men, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"