Matthew 20:29-34 New Living Translation (NLT)
I find the work of gaining spiritual understanding absolutely amazing; the Holy Spirit is such an incredible Giver of insight and revelation. For example, how is it that we may know something in the Spirit—by revelation—and not really have thought about it, spent time analyzing it, or visually seen the evidence of it manifest? It’s because God weaves threads of spiritual understanding throughout Scripture and it is up to every child of God to use faith to see the whole picture and how he or she fits into it. When we apply wisdom and understanding to our lives, we can find the truth revealed and we know how to please God with our lives.
When Scripture teaches Christ opens the eyes of the blind, it is both a literal action, as well as a spiritual figure of speech. During Christ’s time, it was perceived that blind eyes were closed to spiritual things and seeing eyes were open to spiritual things. In our passage today, Jesus comes near two blind men. Based on the promises of God through the prophets to send a Savior, these blind men cry out to Jesus to heal them; they have spiritual understanding of who Jesus is because they have put prophetic Scripture together with the news of Christ’s miracles. Therefore, they know the healing Messiah (the one who will come to open the eyes of the blind) will be a descendant of David. It is interesting that these blind men have spiritual understanding of Christ’s identity and power before he heals their eyesight, but the Pharisees and religious leaders who have seeing eyes cannot put the pieces together in order to understand the very miracles they have witnessed Jesus perform is because he is the promised Messiah.
Christ is the Wisdom we need to understand Scripture; the work of the Spirit bears witness when we have heard the Truth of God’s heart, love, and salvation. May we call on the name of Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to help us every day with spiritual understanding.
Matthew 20:29-34 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me gain spiritual understanding as I read Scripture and make the necessary connections in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.