Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
Warning, this is a longer thought today: I want to reflect on a bit of history. Seven centuries before Jesus was born, the nation of Israel was in a bad state. They were God’s chosen people, set apart from the other nations and rescued from slavery. They had been given a special purpose, to be a blessing to the other nations of the Earth and to follow the Law of Moses. However, they kept falling away from God, had turned a deaf ear to God and were committing all kinds of atrocities: greed, self-centredness, oppression of the weak and poor, and following the way of other gods.
[God] looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.’
Isaiah 5:7
So God sent a prophet called Isaiah to warn them that they were heading to trouble. They had fallen so far and had been warned so many times before, that now God’s protection would be removed and they would enter a time of punishment. This was described in the most distressing way with enemies strengthened against them, wealth removed, buildings destroyed, children killed and sickness inflicted. The list of punishments is long and dark. It is a heavy text to read.
Over the following centuries, they were invaded and conquered by the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. Their temple was destroyed (587 BC) and their nation grew divided. They went from a flourishing nation, to a vassal state, with limited freedom, wealth and control.
Yet there was a hope that burned beneath the surface, like a pilot light waiting to ignite. God would not abandon them forever. Isaiah, who warned them of their punishment, also promised a rescuer and a restoration of Israel. There would come a time when Israel would be restored to its glory. There would come a time when they would be restored fully as God’s people:
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Isaiah 35:5-6
As Jesus walked the streets of Israel, performing miracles, they were not just compassionate things to do for people in need. He was signalling to a nation that had spent several centuries under a cloud of shame and failure that change was coming and that hope could finally be fulfilled.
Reflect
- Why do people react in different ways to hope?
- Do you think that miracles today have a deeper meaning or purpose beyond blessing someone? Do they still point us towards hope?
- What hope do you believe God wants to give you today?
Respond
Pause and pray. Hope is not wishful thinking, it is founded on God’s promises. Ask God to reveal any promises that he has for you.
